Iqaluit grocery stores ditch plastic, switch to reusable bags
Stores across Canada will soon be banned from providing single-use plastics like bags, straws to shoppers
Shoppers go in and out of Northmart in Iqaluit on June 23 carrying reusable bags. This month, both Arctic Ventures Marketplace and Northmart stopped providing plastic bags, coinciding with the federal government’s law banning the sale of many single-use plastics by the end of the year. (Photo by David Lochead)
Iqaluit grocery stores are ready for an incoming nationwide ban on single-use plastics.
Both Arctic Ventures Marketplace and Northmart stopped offering plastic bags to customers as of last week.
“It’s a drastic change,” said Stephane Daigle, Arctic Ventures Marketplace operations manager, in an interview.
Northmart, owned by the Northwest Company, announced the switch on its Facebook account June 20.
Arctic Ventures is a part of Arctic Co-operatives Ltd., where each of its grocery stores in Nunavut functions autonomously. Stores in other communities are deciding for themselves when to switch to reusable bags, said Duane Wilson, Arctic Co-op’s vice-president of stakeholder relations.
But with federal legislation coming in, he said, it’s “matter of when, not if,” the switch will be made.
The federal government’s ban on the manufacture and import of single-use plastic products, such as plastic bags, took effect late last year.
As of Dec. 20, stores will no longer be allowed to offer customers plastic bags or plastic cutlery, stir sticks or straws.
The government’s goal is to eliminate plastic waste by 2030 with an estimate that over the next 10 years, this move will divert the equivalent of more than a million full garbage bags of plastic from landfills.
Outside Iqaluit’s Northmart on June 23, it appeared most customers were carrying the reusable blue bags the store was selling.
However, there was some variety: A couple of customers took plastic bags in with them, another had a backpack, and a couple of customers carried in their own tote bags.
To encourage the switch to reusable bags, Arctic Co-operatives decided that for this year’s sealift it will not distribute single-use plastic bags to Co-op stores in Nunavut, Wilson said.
Northwest Company communications manager Brent Smith said while timelines for individual stores vary, the company plans to phase out use of plastic bags in all Nunavut stores by the December deadline.
Daigle said Arctic Ventures wanted to move off of plastic bags sooner, but his store had a lot left over from last year’s sealift that had to be used.
The intention was to no longer offer them as of May. However, a delay in shipping meant Arctic Ventures could only start offering reuseable bags or cardboard boxes in Iqaluit this month.
Daigle said that in a typical single year, Arctic Ventures hands out 800,000 plastic bags that eventually go to the landfill.
“So it’s good for the environment,” he said of the switch to reusable bags.
Outside of a few complaints, he said, feedback has been positive.
Arctic Ventures currently has its $3 bags marked down to 99 cents in an effort to help people get comfortable in using them. The price will go back to $3 likely at some point after the summer, Daigle said.
At Northmart, Smith said the blue reusable bags are being sold for $1.99 and a 65-cent tote bag will be available soon.
Meanwhile, the City of Iqaluit has begun its own drive to hand out reusable bags.
The city is asking businesses to pay for the costs of making the reusable bags, and in return businesses can have their logo printed as one of several on the bag, city spokesperson Kent Driscoll said.
He said the city started contacting businesses on June 23 and sold all the spots on its first 1,000 bags by the end of that day.
The city’s initiative is partly to remind people of the bylaw banning single-use plastics that was passed in November 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic, Driscoll said.
With the demand for disposable material during the pandemic, the city has delayed enforcement of the bylaw.
Its going to make little difference. A majority of households used those grocery bags in our smaller garbage cans around the house. Now we must by small plastic bags to replace
That’s right.
This will increase the cost of living by increasing the profit for the grocery stores and increasing the profit of the petrochemical industry. All in the name of “saving the environment”.
Agreed. Recycling is a scam and Canada sends it garbage and plastic over seas.
“Forever” chemicals have been found in Canadian’s blood system and the highest levels are…in the Arctic.
Most of the products we buy comes in plastic containers example: ketchup, mustard, relish, roasted chicken, clam shell of strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, prepared salads, juice drinks, and so on are all have plastic containers, how are these container environmental friendlier than the plastic bags?
Nothing so septic as reusable grocery bags. Keep them off my check-out counter!
Now ban those people who hangout inside and outside Northmart. It is an uncomfortable feeling and smelly going in and out of the store!!!!!
Just for one reason I limit my shopping at NM: those hanging around the front, so I shop at Ventures and Canners. Some harass or smoke at the doorway, etc. No thanks, we have choices!
This is an important first step to start changing the culture. Plastic bags everywhere the same way soiled diapers are everywhere. Without recycling available nunavut only has 2 of the 3 R’s. Nothing in this world is truly disposable.
Forgot a bag last night and the store had apparently run out.
How on brand is that?
aww c’mon how hard is it to bring your own packing bag, a couple 45 to 50 litre capacity bags and good to go.
It feels very rude to publish a photo of people’s faces like that. Especially in our small community.
Those who advocate most for eliminating clean plastic bags are likely the same ones who advocate for wearing masks
So much ideology; SO little science
No one cares if you wear a mask or not and haven’t for a long time now.
The fact that public health measures triggered you so badly that you’re STILL bringing them up is embarrassing.
Someone should “qatsini” reusable shopping bags near north mart if they ran out quick. ?