NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR
REGULATION 1/20

Plastic Retail Bag Regulations
under the
 Environmental Protection Act
(O.C. 2020-004)

(Filed January 16, 2020)

Under the authority of section 111 of the Environmental Protection Act, the Lieutenant-Governor in Council makes the following regulations.

Dated at St. John's,

Elizabeth Day
Clerk of the Executive Council

REGULATIONS

Analysis

        1.   Short title

        2.   Definitions

        3.   Prohibition

        4.   Exemptions

        5.   Commencement

Short title

        1. These regulations may be cited as the Plastic Retail Bag Regulations.

Definitions

        2. In these regulations                   

             (a)  "plastic retail bag" means a bag made of plastic, including biodegradable plastic or compostable plastic but does not include a reusable retail bag;

             (b)  "retailer" means a person who sells or offers to sell goods to the public; and  

             (c)  "reusable retail bag" means a bag

                      (i)  primarily made of cloth or washable fabric, and

                     (ii)  designed and manufactured to be capable of at least 100 uses.

Prohibition

        3. A retailer shall not sell or provide a plastic retail bag to a person.                           

Exemptions

        4. (1) Section 3 does not apply to a bag used to

             (a)  package fruit, vegetables, candy, grains, nuts and other loose bulk food items;

             (b)  package meat, poultry or fish, whether pre-packaged or not;

             (c)  wrap flowers or potted plants;

             (d)  protect prepared foods or bakery goods that are not pre-packaged;                  

             (e)  transport live fish;

             (f)  protect newspapers or printed material left at a person's residence or place of business;

             (g)  protect clothes after professional laundering or dry cleaning; or

             (h)  protect used tires taken off vehicles and placed in a person's vehicle.

             (2)  Section 3 does not limit or restrict the sale of bags, including plastic bags, intended for use at a person's home or business, that are sold in packages of multiple bags.              

Commencement

        5. These regulations come into force on July 1, 2020.

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