As some stores across B.C. are once again allowing shoppers to use their own bags to pack their groceries, returning to a habit many had before the height of the pandemic has been slow. Provincial officials lifted guidelines advising against reusable bags seven weeks ago, but some stores and shoppers have yet to return to the bring-your-own-bag routine.
For people who study the impact of plastic on the environment, the initial move to ban reusable bags in late March came as a blow — even if there was agreement with the reasoning. “Even before COVID … we were really worried about the amount of plastic that goes into the ocean,” said Rashid Sumaila, a Canada Research Chair and director of the Fisheries Economics Research Unit at UBC.
Several studies show that single-use plastics — like bags, bottles and food containers — are ending up in the ocean in alarming amounts and creating a hazard for marine animals. Around 20 municipalities in B.C. have been pursuing a ban on single-use plastic bags in order to keep them out of landfills, but much of that work has been put on hold as the pandemic plays out.