FORT FRANCES, Ont. — The Town of Fort Frances will start 2021 as the only municipality in the province to restrict the use of single-use plastics.
A new by-law takes effect on Jan. 1, preventing businesses from routinely distributing single-use plastic checkout bags, foam-based takeout food containers, and single-use plastic drinking straws.
There is no ban on the sale of these products, however.
The by-law, introduced by Councillor Douglas Judson, was adopted unanimously by Fort Frances council in January 2020.
It's aimed at encouraging consumers and businesses to adopt more sustainable and environmentally-friendly practices, such as shopping with reusable bags or shifting to alternative products such as paper bags or straws.
The by-law also allows for exceptions, such as packaging loose bulk items including produce, wrapping flowers, and transporting live fish.
Although it carries financial penalties for violations, the penalties will not come into force until Jan. 1, 2022.
"As a resource-based economy, Fort Frances has always been a community that values sustainability," Judson said. "This effort shows that local governments don't need to wait to take action on global problems like climate change and the hazards of single-use plastic waste."
The federal government announced last year that it intends to ban single-use plastics in 2021, but Judson said the COVID-19 pandemic and a potential election may alter its implementation.
According to the 2016 census, Fort Frances has about 3,300 households.
It's estimated that a town of 2,500 households could send a million plastic bags to landfills every year.
A plastic bag might take 1,000 years to completely decompose.
