The Manitoba government is cracking down on plastic bag use, one of the most widely available and environmentally hazardous products in the province. The province plans to reduce the use of disposable plastic bags by 50 per cent in the next five years, with conservation minister Bill Blaikie holding consultations with the public and interest groups starting in the spring.

“All options are on the table as we explore the implications of a ban, partial ban or some other form of restricting plastic bags,” Cabinet press secretary Rachel Morgan said in an e-mail.

The crux of the provincial plan is to promote the use of reusable bags by consumers, through educational measures to raise awareness about the harm caused by disposable plastic bags. Over 294.5 million bags are used by Manitobans per year, 53 per cent of which are discarded without first being reused in the household, said Morgan.

Plastic bags are largely non-biodegradable. The bags are also toxic to the environment and can be harmful to large swathes of Manitoba’s wildlife.

“Our hope is that consumers will drive the policy on reducing the use of disposable plastic bags,” said Gloria Desorcy, executive director of the Manitoba chapter of the Consumers’ Association of Canada, a non-profit organization committed to educating consumers on market issues.

The Consumers’ Association has received provincial funding for the Reusable Bag Project, a way of consulting with consumers as well as educating youth on the dangers of disposable plastic bag use. The project includes consultations with Manitoba’s smaller municipalities as well as province-wide school presentations. The budget for the project sits at just under $20,000.

“We’re trying to do a lot with a little, but it has given us a good perspective and has been an important learning process,” said Desorcy. She believes the province is on the right track with its policies.

Provincial consultations will focus on proposals that include a recycling requirement for larger stores that proliferate plastic bags. The grocery industry provides over half of all disposable plastic bags in Manitoba, with recycling programs offered at 70 per cent of all provincial grocery stores, said Morgan.

Others maintain that the province isn’t looking at the right measures to reduce plastic bag use.

“Certainly education is important, but in order to really influence behaviour you need a surcharge or an eco-tax,” said Randall McQuaker, executive director of Resource Conservation Manitoba (RCM), a non-profit organization mandated to encourage ecological sustainability.

Plastic bag recycling is not widely available and smaller retailers don’t have the infrastructure to sustain a recycling or take-back program for plastic bags, he said.

McQuaker pointed to Ireland, which adopted a tax on plastic bags in 2002, resulting in a 95 per cent decrease in their use.

“Awareness is growing amongst our customers and the demand for these recycling programs is growing as well,” said Barry Pederson, manager of the McPhillips Street Wal-Mart store. On Jan. 25, Winnipeg Wal-Mart stores held No Plastic Day, a day where customers did not receive any disposable plastic bags for their groceries. Every 300 customers per store instead received a reusable cloth bag.

“People have been generally all right with the concept,” he said. “We [at Wal-mart] are committing ourselves to a 50 per cent cut in plastic bag usage by 2013.”

With files from Aaron Simm.