We are a group of local citizens, along with the Owen Sound Waste Watchers, concerned about single use plastics such as grocery and produce bags, and their devastating impact on our environment.

We have recently learned that a Port Elgin grocer has responded to community pressure to eliminate plastic grocery bags and is encouraging the use of reusable cloth bags and, in the interim, offering paper bags. Statistics indicate that this would divert 7000 kgs of plastic from Port Elgin’s landfill. Port Elgin has approximately 8000 residents. If Owen Sound did the same, with a population of 22 000, we could eliminate 3 times the amount of plastic waste from our landfill.

We are urging Owen Sound grocery stores to be leaders in our community and stop the use of plastic grocery bags.

We would also like all the food stores in Owen Sound to have readily available mesh produce bags in a variety of sizes for consumers to purchase. Eventually this should lead to the elimination of rolls of plastic bags currently provided in the produce section. This would be another positive impact on our environment.

We believe the majority of customers would support the elimination of single use plastics in grocery stores. Numerous groups and individuals are expressing their concern. We are confident that stores have the ability to respond to this concern.

We urge local managers to put appropriate pressure on their head office to eliminate single use plastics to combat this serious environmental threat.
If you share our concerns please contact your local grocer.

Plastic Pollution Committee
Diane Lawler
Kerry Lee
Leslie Meyers
Donna Mitchell
Sue Williams