Atlantic Canadians are overwhelmingly in favour of a ban on single use plastics, according to a new survey from Narrative Research.
Results show that nine out of ten of those asked support a ban on things like check out bags, straws, cups, cutlery and takeaway food containers.
88 per cent were for banning plastic packaging on most consumer items with the exception of medications and for food safety.
CEO of Narrative Research CEO Margaret Brigley says she wasn’t surprised.
“I think here in Atlantic Canada, we have very much set a high bar in terms of recycling and environmental concerns. It’s nice to see there’s very much a clear majority,” she said.
Brigley points out there were some interesting results in the data.
“Where we saw a bit of a difference was in current shopping behaviors,” she said. “In P.E.I, the vast majority, eight in 10, said they never or rarely use store provided plastic bags when shopping. Maybe that’s not surprising, especially because it was in July when P.E.I. was the first Atlantic Canadian province to put in place a ban on plastic bags.”
“Those who are less inclined to use a recyclable bag tend to be men, and they tend to be the younger consumer, and older consumers and women are most likely to say that they never use a store provided bag.”
Brigley says all four Atlantic provinces are supportive of a federal ban.
Both Newfoundland and Nova Scotia have recently announced its plans for a ban on single-use plastics in stores.
Brigley says getting ahead of the curve is key for success, and that Atlantic Canada has the chance to set an example for the rest of the country to follow.
“I think it’s important that people have a bit of time to get used to the idea,” she said.
“In Atlantic Canada, they’ve accepted the change and moved on with changing their habits accordingly.”
Results of the survey are based on a sample of 1,500 adult Atlantic Canadians contacted from July to August, with overall results accurate to within ± 2.5 percentage points, 95 out of 100
