Sioux Lookout moves to ban bags

The municipality of Sioux Lookout has banned plastic bag use in retail stores in the community.
The move comes as a means to curb a large portion of plastic bags making its way to the local landfill, a number Mayor Kathy Poling said is between 750,000 to one million each year.
“The step we are taking is small,” Poling said. “But it is often grassroots local initiatives that can have the greatest impact.”
The community, which said it is the first municipality in Ontario to ban plastic bags, is also looking to promote environmental and financial benefits of reducing plastic bag use, such as decreasing litter and protecting storm sewers from being blocked.
Approval of set fines for distributing plastic bags must come from the Attorney General, so a one-year phase in period has been set to allow the community to adjust and prepare for the change.
The by-law defines plastic bags as “a bag made of plastic film, including biodegradable or compostable bags, provided by a retail business to a customer at the till or point of sale to carry customer purchases from the retail business.”
Not in the definition of a plastic bag are bags for bulk purchases, meat, frozen foods, newspapers, laundry and dry cleaning, minnows and bags sold in packages containing many bags for use as garbage, recycling, pet and yard waste.