Minister's Speech

Remarks prepared for:

The Honourable John Gerretsen
Minister of the Environment

LCBO Plastic bag phase-out
LCBO outlet, Queen’s Quay
Toronto, May 27, 2008

(Check against delivery)

Thank you, David. 

I’m glad to be here with my friend and Cabinet colleague, David Caplan, and Roy Ecker of the LCBO. 

Today’s announcement is great news for the environment — and it builds on the success of the Bag it Back program.

Plastic bags seem to be everywhere in our society.  Most stores hand them to us when we buy something.  We use them to carry things around or for storage at home. 

Plastic bags are incredibly convenient — we all know that.  But we have to look at the flip-side.  These bags are made from a non-renewable resource and most eventually find their way into a landfill.

But we also know there are ways to keep them out of the waste stream.

This is why our government developed an agreement with the retail and grocery industry to reduce number of plastic bags distributed in Ontario by half over the next five years.

We’re working with grocers and distributors, as well as recycling and retailing councils, along with the plastics industry to find creative solutions to environmental concerns about plastic bags.

Recycling is a good solution.  Plastic bags are very recyclable.  In fact, more than 80 municipalities in Ontario will pick up plastic bags in their Blue Box.

Reuse also has a big role to play in reducing the amount of plastic bags that get used every year in Ontario. 

I’m encouraged by how many people I now see carrying reusable shopping bags that can be reused many more times than plastic bags.

Grocery stores and other businesses are doing a great job promoting them.

In fact, the LCBO was a pioneer in this area, introducing reusable canvas bags in their stores in the 1990s.

Today we’re marking another example of how our partners at the LCBO are showing environmental leadership.

Getting plastic bags out of LCBO retail outlets is a step in the right direction.

It shows how government and industry can work together to give people better choices that will help us protect the environment.

Now let me turn this over to Roy Ecker of the LCBO.   Roy …

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