A limited supply of free reusable bags will be available in most local grocery stores next month thanks to a generous donation made by the John Maude and Susan Quinn Charitable Foundation.
In anticipation of the upcoming Plastic Bag Ban Bylaw 1913-18—which prohibits the sale of single-use plastic bags in Wetaskiwin as of July 9, 2019—the John Maude and Susan Quinn Charitable Foundation donated $15,000 toward the purchase of reusable bags for community members. The City has ordered the bags and will be dropping them off at participating grocery stores to hand out.
“The request to ban plastic bags was first brought before Wetaskiwin City Council seven years ago, and we are thrilled to see it finally happen” said John Maude. “We hope this donation will help ease the transition to more sustainable shopping for the community.”
Wetaskiwin is the second community in Alberta to ban single-use plastic bags. The Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo was the first, having had similar legislation in place since 2010.
“I am incredibly proud of City Council and the businesses that are helping make our community a little cleaner,” said Mayor Tyler Gandam. “Thanks to great partners like John and Susan, our residents will get a head start on being leaders in reducing our overall environmental footprint.”
Some exceptions apply, including plastic bags to contain fresh meat products, bakery items and bulk hardware items. A full list of exceptions can be found online at www.wetaskiwin.ca/byobag.
-Submitted by City of Wetaskiwin