P.E.I. becomes the first province to ban plastic bags

Prince Edward Island has become the first province to introduce a ban on single-use plastic bags.

The province’s Plastic Bag Reduction Act officially came into effect on July 1, Canada Day, and prohibits businesses in P.E.I. from offering single-use plastic bags at the checkout. They have been replaced with paper or reusable bag options. Businesses are now required to charge a minimum of 15 cents for a paper bag and $1.00 for reusable bags.

The regulation does have loopholes, however: Businesses will be allowed to provide plastic bags for a variety of products, including bulk produce, live fish, prescription drugs and dry cleaning, among others. Businesses in P.E.I. are also allowed to use up the plastic bags they’ve already purchased.

The ban in P.E.I. comes shortly after another Atlantic Canadian province, Newfoundland and Labrador, announced plans to implement its own plastic bag ban, which will make it the second province to ban plastic bags. In April, Newfound and Labrador’s provincial government introduced legislation allowing it to ban their use at stores and other retail outlets. The province says the ban won’t take effect for between six and 12 months, to give consumers time to get in the habit of bringing reusable bags.

The federal government also has plans for a ban on plastic bags and other single-use plastic products by 2021.