Is the intention to ban plastic bags only for grocery stores or for all other businesses as well? Perhaps, before asking town councillors to make this a new bylaw, either all the stores or The News could do a survey to see if a ban is what the majority wants.
Not many cotton bags sold by stores come with zippers and cotton gets wet, so I still prefer carrying purchases in a plastic bag when it rains. It is not just about not wanting our flour or cookies getting wet. We buy a lot of stuff other than groceries. Would you like to leave the store with your newly bought laptop or books in an open cotton bag when it is raining, or have the store clerk put your new clothes in a cotton bag that you had your onions in the day before? Would you pick up your clothes from the drycleaner without them being covered by a plastic bag?
If you ban plastic bags you may reduce our carbon footprint but do we then increase our carbon footprint by cutting down more trees for paper bags?
Personally, I use plastic bags for many purposes before recycling them so would hate to see them gone. People just need to use common sense and most of us do.
Louise Wall
Qualicum Beach
