Shopping bag regulations across Canada

Plastic bags used for hygienic purposes for the packaging of fuits, vegetables, nuts, bulk products, prepared foods, meat, fish, bread and dairy products.

Single-Use Plastics bags used to protect produce or perishable fruits and vegetables, or plastic cellophane that is utilized to hold the aforementioned.

Plastic bags used to wrap motor vehicle tires.

Reusable shopping bags designed for multiple uses and with a thickness of 100 microns or more.

Plastic packaging bags used for hygiene purposes, especially for bulk products.

Plastic bags containing advertising material for door-to-door distribution, packaging bags used in an industrial process.”

Dryclothing clothing bags as well as bags for prescription drugs.

Plastic packaging bags used for hygiene purposes, in particular for bulk products, meat, poultry and fish;

Plastic bags containing advertising material for door-to-door distribution,

Packaging bags used for an industrial process.

• Package loose bulk items
• Package small hardware items
• Contain or wrap frozen foods, meat, poultry or fish, prepackaged or not
• Wrap flowers or potted plants
• Protect prepared foods or bakery goods that are not pre-packaged
• Contain prescription drugs received from a pharmacy
• Protect linens, bedding or other similar large items that do not fit easily in a reusable bag
• Paper bags containing at least 40% post-consumer recycled paper content and display the words “Recyclable” and “made from 40% post-consumer recycled content”
• Reusable bags designed and manufactured to last at least 100 uses, and, primarily made of cloth or other washable fabric
• Plastic bags intended for use at the customer’s home or business, provided that they are prepackaged and sold in packages of multiple bags
• A business that purchased plastic checkout bags in bulk prior to the passing of this bylaw may continue to provide the bags until the stock is depleted, provided that the customer is first asked whether they need a bag.

• Drive-in or Drive-through, Restaurant, Mobile Catering; or a Take out Restaurant
• Bags distributed to food banks, homeless or animal shelters
• Loose, bulk goods such as fruit, vegetables, nuts, grains, candy, or small hardware items such as nails, screws, nuts and bolts; flowers; which goods are not prepackaged; dry cleaning

• Reusable bags designed and manufactured to be capable of at least 100 uses, and primarily made of cloth or other washable fabric
• Bags used to:
  • Package loose bulk items such as fruit, vegetables, nuts, grains, or candy;
  • Package loose small hardware items such as nails and bolts;
  • Contain or wrap frozen foods, meat, poultry or fish, whether prepackaged or not;
  • Wrap flowers or potted plants;
  • Protect prepared foods or bakery goods that are not pre-packaged;
  • Contain prescription drugs received from a pharmacy;
  • Transport live fish;
  • Protect linens, bedding or other similar large items that cannot easily fit in a reusable bag;
  • Protect newspapers or other printed material intended to be left at the customer’s residence or place of business;
  • Protect clothes after professional laundering or dry cleaning.
• Plastic Bags or straws intended for use at the customer’s home or business, provided that they are prepackaged and sold in packages of multiple bags or straws.

• Paper bags containing at least 40% post-consumer recycled paper content, displaying the words “recyclable” and “made from 40% post-consumer recycled content”, for which a fee [no minimum specified] must be charged.
• Small paper bags, less than 15 centimetres by 20 centimetres when flat.
• Recycled bags, designed and manufactured to be capable of at least 100 uses, primarily made of cloth or other washable fabric, for which a fee [no minimum specified] must be charged.
• Small paper bags or plastic bags used to:
  • package loose bulk items such as fruit, vegetables, nuts, grains, or candy;
  • package loose small hardware items such as nails and bolts;
  • contain or wrap frozen foods, meat, poultry, or fish, whether pre‐packaged or not;
  • wrap flowers or potted plants;
  • protect prepared foods or bakery goods that are not pre‐packaged;
  • contain prescription drugs received from a pharmacy;
  • transport live fish;
  • protect linens, bedding, or other similar large items that cannot easily fit in a Reusable Bag;
  • protect newspapers or other printed material intended to be left at the customer’s residence or place of business; or
  • protect clothes after professional laundering or dry cleaning.
• Packages of multiple bags intended for the use at the customer’s home or business.
• Bags that have been returned to the business for the purpose of being reused by other customers.
• The bylaw does not apply to a bag purchased by a business before March 11, 2019.

• Paper bags containing at least 40% post-consumer recycled paper content and labelled as both “Recyclable” and “made from 40% post-consumer recycled content, for which a fee of at least 15 cents per bag must be charged (rising to 25 cents on January 1, 2020).
• Small paper bags less than 15 by 20 cm when flat
• Reusable bags designed and manufactured to last at least 100 uses, and, primarily made of cloth of other washable fabric, for which a fee of at least $1 per bag must be charged (rising to $2 on January 1, 2020)
• Bags used to:
  • Package loose bulk items such as fruit, vegetables, nuts, grains, or candy;
  • Package loose small hardware items such as nails and bolts;
  • Contain or wrap frozen foods, meat, poultry, or fish, whether pre-packaged or not;
  • Wrap flowers or potted plants;
  • Protect prepared foods or bakery goods that are not pre-packaged;
  • Contain prescription drugs received from a pharmacy;
  • Transport live fish;
  • Protect linens, bedding or other similar large items that cannot easily fit in a reusable bag;
  • Protect newspapers or other printed material intended to be left at the customer’s residence or place of business;
  • Protect clothes after professional laundering or dry cleaning.
• Packages of multiple bags intended for the use at the customer’s home or business.
• Bags that have been returned to the business for the purpose of being reused by other customers.

• Paper bags, for which a fee of at least 25 cents per bag must be charged.
• Small paper bags less than 15cm by 20cm when flat.
• Reusable bags with handles that are for the purpose of transporting items purchased by the customer from a Business and designed and manufactured to be capable of at least 100 uses, for which a fee of at least $2 per bag must be charged.
• Bags used to:
  • Package loose bulk items such as fruit, vegetables, nuts, grains, and candy;
  • Package loose small hardware items such as nails and bolts;
  • Contain or wrap frozen foods, meat, poultry or fish, whether prepackaged or not;
  • Wrap flowers or potted plants;
  • Protect prepared foods or bakery goods that are not pre-packaged;
  • Contain prescription drugs received from a pharmacy;
  • Protect linens, bedding or other similar large items that cannot fit easily in a reusable bag.
• Plastic bags or plastic straws intended for use at the customer’s home or business, provided that they are prepackaged and sold in packages of multiple bags
• Bags that have been donated to the business for the purpose of being reused by other customers.

• Paper bags containing at least 40% post-consumer recycled paper content and labelled as both “Recyclable” and “made from 40% post-consumer recycled content, for which a fee of at least 25 cents must be charged
• Small paper bags, less than 15 centimetres by 20 centimetres when flat.
• Reusable bags designed and manufactured to last at least 100 uses, and, primarily made of cloth or other washable fabric, for which a fee of at least $2 must be charged
• Small paper bags or plastic bags used to:
  • Package loose bulk items such as fruit, vegetables, nuts, grains, or candy;
  • Package loose small hardware items such as nails and bolts;
  • Contain or wrap frozen foods, meat, poultry or fish, whether pre-packaged or not;
  • Wrap flowers or potted plants;
  • Protect prepared foods or bakery goods that are not pre-packaged;
  • Contain prescription drugs received from a pharmacy;
  • Transport live fish;
  • Protect linens, bedding or other similar large items that cannot easily fit in a reusable bag;
  • Protect newspapers or other printed material intended to be left at the customer’s residence or place of business;
  • Protect clothes after professional laundering or dry cleaning.
• Packages of multiple bags intended for the use at the customer’s home or business.
• Bags that have been returned to the business for the purpose of being reused by other customers.

• Loose, bulk goods such as fruit, vegetables, nuts, grains, candy, or small hardware items such as nails, screws, nuts and bolts
• Bags used to contain or wrap frozen foods, meat or fish, flower, potted plans, bakery foods
• Bags to contain prescription drugs
• Dry cleaning

• Loose, bulk goods such as fruit, vegetables, nuts, grains, candy, or small hardware items such as nails, screws, nuts and bolts
• Bags used to contain or wrap frozen foods, meat or fish, flower, potted plans, bakery foods
• Bags to contain prescription drugs
• Dry cleaning

• Plastic bags used for loose bulk items such as fruit, vegetables, nuts, grains or candy, loose small hardware items, frozen foods, flowers or potted plants, prepared foods or bakery goods that are not pre-packaged, prescription drugs;
• Transport live fish
• Protect linens, bedding or other similar large items;
• Protect newspapers or other printed material intended to be left at the customer’s residence or place of business
• Dry cleaning
• Medical supplies
• Protect tires
• Paper bags
• Reusable bags (meant for at least 100 uses)

If providing customers with paper bags and reusable checkout bags, retailers must charge a fee.

• Plastic bags used exclusively to carry produce, nuts, bulk snacks, ready-to-eat foods, meat, fish, bread and dairy products to the check-out counter or to protect these food products from direct contact with other items for reasons of hygiene

• Shopping bags made of cellulosic fibers or recyclable paper (including the handle)
• Film bags for produce, meat, fish, and items purchased in bulk such as nuts and flour

• Biodegradable bags
• Bags meant to carry items purchased in bulk
• Paper bags

• Package loose food bulk items such as fruit, vegetables, nuts or candy
• Contain or wrap meat, poultry or fish
• Package prepared food, bakery or dairy goods

• Plastic bags used exclusively to carry produce, nuts, bulk snacks, ready-to-eat foods, meat, fish, bread and dairy products to the check-out counter or to protect these food products from direct contact with other items for reasons of hygiene
• Plastic bags used to carry prescription drugs

• Plastic bags used exclusively to carry produce, nuts, bulk snacks, ready-to-eat foods, meat, fish, bread and dairy products to the check-out counter or to protect these food products from direct contact with other items for reasons of hygiene
• Plastic bags used to carry prescription drugs

• Plastic bags used exclusively to carry produce, nuts, bulk snacks, ready-to-eat foods, meat, fish, bread and dairy products to the check-out counter or to protect these food products from direct contact with other items for reasons of hygiene

• Biodegradable bags
• Paper bags

None