Let's ban plastic check-out bags

It is time to move to ban the use of plastic check-out bags in Manitoba. Leaf Rapids has done this and it has been very successful and well received. Around the world people are moving in this direction - including in China which has, earlier this year, announced such a ban.

Plastic bags are littering the landscape. Plastic bags are filling our landfill sites. Each year hundreds of millions of plastic bags end up in the Brady Landfill south of Winnipeg.

Plastic bags are made from petroleum products. They last a long time and break down only slowly. When they do break down, some of the products are toxic.

It is time to switch to using reusable cloth bags or biodegradable bags made from agricultural products like corn starch.

We have introduced Bill 200 into the Manitoba Legislature to ban plastic check-out bags in Manitoba by January 1, 2009. I hope you will support this effort to have a better environment in our province. Please consider signing a petition - BAN THE BAG - BEAUTIFY & SAVE THE PLANET in support of our efforts. You can see this petition at:
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/Bill200BantheBag

You can also go to the petition by visiting ipetitions.com and clicking on Sign a Petition and the entering Plastic Bags under the search item.