The Red Barn Market chain of grocery stores will be going plastic bag-free this summer, Citified has learned.

 

Seven locations strong with stores in the City of Victoria, Esquimalt, Colwood and Saanich, Red Barn Market will eradicate single-use plastic bags from its stores by mid-2018, according to printed notices posted at checkout counters.

 

“Working in line with the Red Barn Market’s values and the upcoming changes in the City of Victoria,” the statement reads, “the Red Barn Market is moving away from plastic bags.”

 

The first store to go plastic bag-free will be the recently opened James Bay location on Menzies Street at Michigan Street where the City of Victoria’s July 1st single-use plastic bag ban will affect all retailers. The Oak Bay location, which is located within the City of Victoria, will also fall under Victoria's ban.

 

The six remaining stores will “follow suit on a location by location basis.”

 

The City of Victoria’s bylaw, which does not apply to neighbouring municipalities but which will be enforced by Red Barn Market in its Colwood, Esquimalt and Saanich stores, requires retailers to charge a minimum of $0.15 for paper bags and $1 for reusable bags. Red Barn Market plans to adopt this pricing measure across all stores.

 

Small plastic bags, however, will be provided to customers for loose bulk food items, small items like nuts and bolts, meats, prepared foods and flowers.

 

The City of Victoria will enforce its plastic bag bylaw in 2019 while raising the minimum fee requirement for paper bags to $0.25 and $2 for reusable bags.

 

Businesses refusing to abide by the bylaw could be fined upwards of $10,000 for infractions while individuals in defiance of the bylaw could be on the hook for upwards of $500. C

 

Receive Citified's timely real-estate news straight to your inbox. Sign up for our newsletter.