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Single-use Plastic Products

In keeping with our commitment to protecting the environment, we are moving forward with our plan to reduce pollution caused by plastic waste in the Town of Rosemère. The by-law on restricting the distribution of single-use plastic products will come into effect on June 19, 2023. Rosemère is proud to be taking the lead in this regard within the MRC de Thérèse-De Blainville. It is worth noting that this by-law is in addition to the ban on single-use plastic bags enacted in 2021.

What are single-use plastics?

Single-use plastic items are used to package, contain or consume food or another product, are distributed one at a time and are not meant to be used more than once or outside of a short period time before they are discarded or recycled.

Summary of the by-law provisions

A retail or other establishment may not distribute any single-use plastic items bearing the recycling codes listed below, whether they are intended for use on site at its place of business or for carrying or delivery purposes.

Who does this by-law apply to?

This by-law applies to retail and other businesses that distribute food or other goods directly to the public.

More specifically, this includes restaurants, food courts, grocery stores, convenience stores, food trucks, bakeries, school and corporate cafeterias, ice cream parlours, coffee shops and other similar businesses.

Some exceptions

The ban on single-use plastics does not apply to:

· Non-profit organizations offering food delivery programs

· Establishments that do not serve customers on the premises and distribute food or other goods by delivery only

· Food trays used to package meat or fish

· Utensils made from non-degradable plastic bearing a #1, #2, #3, #4, #5 or #7 recycling code if provided specifically on request for take-out food

· Single-use items made from cardboard coated with non-degradable or degradable plastic.

 Do your part to be environmentally responsible

There are several options available to the merchants affected by this by-law to help them comply with the above restrictions. They may ask consumers to bring their own reusable alternatives, for example. Embracing these new habits will have a positive impact on the environment, just like the move away from disposable shopping bags has had.

A public awareness campaign will be rolled out via the Town’s various communication channels in the next while. Be sure to watch for it.

Easing the transition for merchants

The Town of Rosemère is working with Aile Rosemère of the Chambre de commerce et d’industrie Thérèse-De Blainville (CCITB) to support merchants during the transition.

These efforts will include an information session in the coming weeks designed specifically to answer any questions the business community may have, along with specialized support from the CCITB and a range of helpful tools. Aile Rosemère will also be kicking off an information and awareness campaign (Vert un tournant responsable) aimed at merchants near the end of the summer.

For more information

Town of Rosemère

Permits and Inspections Department | 450-621-3500, ext. 1238 | permis.inspections@ville.rosemere.qc.ca

CCITB — Aile Rosemère

Amélie Bouchard, Liaison Officer and Group Project Lead, Aile Rosemère | 450-435-8228, ext. 230 | abouchard@ccitb.ca

Frequently asked questions

1. How can I do my part as a member of the community?

You can take the initiative by remembering to bring your reusables along when you’re on the go. Some merchants give customers the option of refilling their cups, mugs and containers.

For more tips and ideas, be sure to go to the RECYC-Québec website.

2. Are there similar by-laws in place in our neighbouring communities?

The Town of Rosemère is a pioneer within the MRC de Thérèse-De Blainville with regard to the move away from single-use plastics. Environmental stewardship is a value our community feels strongly about. So the Town has taken decisive action to reduce the pollution caused by plastic waste. Other municipal administrations are bound to follow suit to mitigate the environmental repercussions of this type of waste within their own jurisdictions.

3. I run a business in Rosemère, and I have questions about how this affects my operations.

The Town is committed to supporting the business community during this transition. Depending on what your needs are, we encourage you to reach out to one of the following:

Town of Rosemère

Permits and Inspections Department | 450-621-3500, ext. 1238 | permis.inspections@ville.rosemere.qc.ca

Aile Rosemère — CCITB

Amélie Bouchard, Liaison Officer and Group Project Lead, Aile Rosemère | 450-435-8228, ext. 230 | abouchard@ccitb.ca

4. Can a store refuse to provide me with disposable utensils?

Businesses subject to this by-law will gradually be offering more environmentally responsible alternatives to their customers. You can also take the initiative in by your own reusables with you (when eating out, for example) to reduce waste at the source. 

Banning Plastic Bags

Since April 22, 2021, Bylaw 929 banning plastic bags is in effect, which means that Rosemère retail businesses are prohibited from distributing, selling or offering certain types of shopping bags on or after that date. All plastic shopping bags, regardless of their thickness, are included in this ban. All residents are therefore being advised to get into the good habit (if this is not yet the case) of opting for reusable bags when shopping in the Town!

The Town of Rosemère adopted this environmental measure in February 2021, in keeping with the Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal's Action plan for plastic bags—an initiative aimed at reducing the amount of waste materials at the source. A number of municipalities around the world have made a commitment to collectively fight against the proliferation of plastic bags and, more generally, against all plastic materials abandoned in nature, given their impact on terrestrial and marine ecosystems and the problems related to their decomposition and recycling.

Why ban single-use plastic bags?

Impact of plastic bags: 

• Lost plastic bags are a visual nuisance.
• They have significant impacts on terrestrial and marine ecosystems.
• They can take up to 1,000* years to decompose.
• Their production requires petroleum products as well as water and generates greenhouse gases.

The purpose of the Bylaw is to promote the principle of reducing, at source, the waste materials generated by shopping bags. "Reduction at source" therefore means cutting down on the volume of waste materials generated by the production of shopping bags, both in terms of resource consumption (oil, water, plastic) and environmental impacts (production of greenhouse gases, etc.).

*Source of data: Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal

Summary of Bylaw

Scope of the Bylaw

• Transactions at the checkout counter for retail businesses

Prohibited bags

In retail businesses, it is prohibited to distribute the following shopping bags, regardless of their thickness:

• conventional plastic bags (bag made of petroleum-based materials offered, at checkout, to carry purchases);
• compostable bags (bags that appear to be made of plastic)
• biodegradable plastic bags (bag composed of polyethylene molecules that can be decomposed by the action of microorganisms);
• oxo-degradable or oxo-fragmentable plastic bags (bags made of petroleum-derived plastic with oxidizing additives that promote its decomposition into smaller pieces)
• conventional paper bags (bags made exclusively of cellulose fibres)
  
  

Acceptable bags / Exemptions

• reusable bags (bags specifically designed to be reused several times as a shopping bag made of recycled material, natural fibers, polyester or polypropylene);
• recycled paper bags (bags made of all recycled paper or containing a minimum of 40% post-consumer fibre, non-waxed, recyclable or compostable);
• plastic packaging bags used for hygienic purposes to contain food products such as meat, poultry, fish or bulk products
• products already packaged by an industrial process
• garment bags provided by a dry cleaning business
• bags containing advertising material for door-to-door distribution
• bags for packaging tires

Solutions for complying with the Bylaw

• Encourage your customers to bring reusable bags.
• Don't provide bags for goods already packaged.
• Reuse the boxes you receive when getting your supplies and orders.
• Distribute or sell compliant reusable bags only when absolutely necessary.

Information | Town of Rosemère

Permits and Inspections Service | 450-621-3500, ext. 3328 | permis.inspections@ville.rosemere.qc.ca