MONTREAL – The City of Montreal announced plans Monday to ban plastic bags, as of Jan. 1, 2018. Some numbers:
5 — Canadian municipalities known to have adopted similar measures. They are the Manitoba towns of Leaf Rapids and Thompson; the Quebec municipalities of Huntingdon and Deux-Montagnes; and Wood Buffalo Regional Municipality, Alta., which includes Fort McMurray. Brossard, Que., planning similar for Sept. 1.
52 — percentage by which Quebecers reduced number of plastic bags used between 2007 and 2010, thanks in part to public awareness campaigns and nickel-per-bag charge brought in by many retailers.
1 — billion bags used in 2010 by Quebecers. Number dropped from roughly 2.2 billion in 2007.
93 — percentage of bags that are either recycled or reused, according to the plastics industry.
Source: City of Montreal / RecycQuebec / Canadian Plastics Industry Association (CPIA)
