Frequently Asked Questions
- How does the Single-use Retail Bag Program work?
- Why 25¢?
- What is a single-use retail bag (SRB)?
- Where does the 25¢ SRB fee go?
- Why are only grocery stores affected?
- Who is responsible for the Single-use Retail Bag Program?
- How does the Single-use Retail Bag Program affect distributors and retailers?
- How will the Single-use Retail Bag Program be enforced?
- What is the Waste Reduction and Recovery Advisory Committee?
- Why not recycle single-use retail bags?
- What’s wrong with paper and degradable bags?
- How will the Single-use Retail Bag Program affect my food budget?
- Where can people get more information on the Program?
How does the Single-use Retail Bag Program work?
- 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
- Economic disincentives have proven successful in reducing bag consumption, with higher fees generally being linked to greater reduction.
- In Ireland, the introduction of a 0.15€ (approximately 23 Canadian cents) ‘Plastax’ on plastic shopping bags resulted in a 95% reduction in plastic bag use.
What is a single-use retail bag (SRB)?
Single-use retail bags are paper or plastic bags that people use to carry purchases out of a grocery store.
These are not single-use retail bags:
- Bags people can re-use many times, such as cloth bags.
- Bags people get when they buy prescription drugs.
- Small plastic or paper bags people use to hold bulk food, fruit or vegetables, prepared foods, and hardware items.
Where does the 25¢ SRB fee go?
- Distributors remit the surcharges they collect from NWT grocery stores to the Environment Fund.
- The Environment Fund is a special purpose fund set up under the Waste Reduction and Recovery Act (Act). This fund is used to cover program expenses and help to create new waste reduction and recovery programs
- If the SRBP is successful, there should be very little revenue (and a lot fewer bags littering the land and communities).
Why are only grocery stores affected?
- As a new program that will hopefully eliminate itself, the proposed SRB fee program has a high degree of unpredictability in terms of the rate of SRB reduction, administrative requirements and amount of revenue that will be generated.
- As such, Environment and Natural Resources (ENR) views a phased-in approach targeting the largest source of SRBs while involving a small number of participants as the most prudent option allowing the Department to evaluate and modify the program as required prior to including all stores.
- That way, ENR can ensure the program is streamlined before all stores are included within two years.
- Grocery stores are the largest single source of single use retail bags, and as such, they are the first logical target to reducing SRBs in the NWT.
- All NWT stores will be included within two years.
Who is responsible for the Single-use Retail Bag Program?
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (ENR) administers the program by:
- enforcing the Act and the Regulations;
- coordinating public information;
- improving the program; and,
- undertaking audits or checks on distributors and/or retailers
How does the Single-use Retail Bag Program affect distributors and retailers?
- Under the program, NWT grocery stores and the distributors that supply them with SRBs must register with ENR.
- Distributors must make regular reports and payments.
- Retailers and distributors must maintain their records for six years.
How will the Single-use Retail Bag Program be enforced?
- People are encouraged, but not required, to bring their own reusable bags to the grocery store.
- Random inspections of retailers by Environmental Protection Officers will ensure that each customer is being charged the 25¢ surcharge for each SRB they receive, and that this fee is marked on their receipt. Penalties will be appropriate to the offence. Penalties could include fines and jail.
- Enforcement is important to ensure that everyone is playing by the same rules and no distributor or retailer has an unfair advantage over another business.
- Random audits will be conducted to ensure financial accountability. Penalties will be appropriate to the offence. Penalties could include fines and jail. Courts could also order other penalties. Officers appointed under the Waste Reduction and Recovery Act will be responsible for making sure the regulations are followed.
What is the Waste Reduction and Recovery Advisory Committee?
The Waste Reduction and Recovery Act enables the Minister of ENR to establish an advisory committee to provide advice and assistance relating to waste reduction and recovery programs established under the Act.
Members of the committee are appointed by the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, and reflect the following sectors and organizations:
- Retailers
- Distributors
- Transportation industry
- Environmental organizations
- Community governments
- Public at large
- ENR
Why not recycle single-use retail bags?
- In the hierarchy of waste management, reduction should always precede reuse and recycling.
What’s wrong with paper and degradable bags?
- The production and use of paper bags requires significant inputs of energy and natural resources. Given that the GNWT is already seeking local solutions to recycle the copious amounts of waste cardboard and paper in the territory, it would not be wise to create more paper waste.
- Biodegradable bags are made to degrade under specific environmental conditions, and they would not likely degrade under NWT landfill and environmental conditions.
How will the Single-use Retail Bag Program affect my food budget?
- The Single-use Retail Bag Program will have no impact on your food budget if you remember to bring your own bags when you shop.
- Money generated under the Program goes into the Environment Fund, not into general government revenues.
Where can people get more information on the Program?
If you want more information, or have comments to make, about the Waste Reduction and Recovery Act, the Single-use Retail Bag Regulations or the Single-use Retail Bag Program, contact:
Environment Division
Department of Environment and Natural Resources
Government of the Northwest Territories
P.O. Box 1320
Yellowknife NT X1A 2L9
Phone: (867) 873-7654 Fax: (867) 873-0221
Web: www.icarenwt.ca
Email: nwtrecycle@gov.nt.ca
