March 11, 2019: Day of Action to ban single-use plastic bags in NL
February 1, 2019
Reliable estimates inform us that eight million tonnes of plastic is finding its way into the oceans on an annual basis and here at home almost 50% of all windborne litter escaping from landfills is plastic, much of it single-use plastic bags that end up tangled in trees or floating in our inland & coastal waters.
In response, the members of Municipalities Newfoundland and Labrador have overwhelmingly passed two resolutions in favour of a provincial ban on single-use plastic bags and at the last Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) AGM more than a thousand delegates also supported a resolution to urge the federal government to create a marine litter mitigation strategy. According to the federal government, more than 150 million tonnes of plastic waste is clogging the oceans worldwide, and it’s estimated that plastic could outweigh fish by 2050.
On March 11, 2019, MNL will partner with the Plastic Bag Ban of Newfoundland and Labrador group to stage a #BanTheBag Social Media Day of Action to call on the provincial government to develop a province-wide ban on single-use plastic bags.
MNL is encouraging all municipal councils in Newfoundland and Labrador to write to The Minister of Municipal Affairs and Environment, Honourable Graham Letto encouraging the provincial government to take a leadership role in protecting our marine environment by banning single-use plastic bags in Newfoundland and Labrador.
MNL is asking our members and residents to spread awareness using the hashtag #BanTheBag. MNL and Plastic Bag Ban NL welcomes the opportunity to be tagged on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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