Single-use Retail Bag Program
Beginning January 15, 2010, all paper and plastic bags are 25¢ in all grocery stores.
The Single-use Retail Bag Program (SRBP) is the second program created under the Waste Reduction and Recovery Act. It was implemented on January 15, 2010 to address millions of disposable shopping that cause unsightly litter in our communities and on the land. Disposable shopping bags take a long time to break down and use a lot of natural resources and energy for manufacturing and shipping to northern communities. They also take up space in our landfills.
The Single-use Retail Bag Regulations presently apply only to the SRBs distributed by NWT grocery stores; however the GNWT is committed to expanding the program to include all retailers within two years. (Click here for a plain language summary of the Single-use Retail Bag Regulations)
How the Single-use Retail Bag Program works
- Consumers pay a 25¢ surcharge for each single-use retail bag (SRB) they get from a grocery store. (The fee should appear on the customer’s receipt.)
- The grocery store pays the distributor 25¢ for each SRB they receive from the distributor.
- The distributor pays the Environment Fund 25¢ for each bag provided to NWT grocery stores.
- All retailers and distributors must register with the GNWT
Read our tips on how to survive without disposal shopping bags.
