The Mayor of Brossard Knows Best? Paul Leduc Ignores Facts, Pushes His Political Agenda

BROSSARD, QC, April 4, 2017 /CNW Telbec/ - The Mayor of Brossard claims that his ban on thin plastic bags is a success. But a success for whom?  

Well, maybe it's a victory for Paul Leduc because he has forced retailers to comply by threatening them with fines and other penalties.  He is measuring success based on the number of retailers who have complied with the law.

But it's not a win for the environment. How is a bag that consumes almost 500 times more plastic than the current 17 micron bag better for the environment? It is great for plastics resin producers but no one else. It means 500 times more waste, and 500 times more greenhouse gas emissions. Has the number of pounds of plastic going to top landfill decreased? Has the amount of paper bags going to landfill increased? Has litter been reduced?

It's not a triumph of science. Mayor Leduc has raced ahead, putting in place a ban based on misinformation and misguided opinion. The Mayor has no science to back up his claim of success. He could have waited for a very extensive life cycle analysis (LCA) of plastic bags to be released in a few weeks, commissioned by RECYC-QUEBEC, which we expect will demonstrate that the conventional plastic bag is the best choice for the environment of all available bags on the market. But hey, don't let facts get in the way of politics.

And it's not a victory for residents. They will have to pay more for these bags and are being forced to be anti-environmental.

"Mayor Leduc thinks he knows best, when all the evidence suggests otherwise," says Marc Robitaille, CPIA spokesperson and President of area-based Omniplast. "He is putting politics before science. It is time for politicians to stop greenwashing. Why wouldn't he have waited for the research, looked at the results, and based his decision on science and fact? What's the point of the province spending $300,000 on a state-of-the-art study if politicians like Mayor Leduc are just going to ignore it?"

Perhaps Mayor Leduc should go meet with the Mayor of Chicago, who called a similar ban there a "farce" and worked to repeal it.

Ah, but that would be logical.

SOURCE Association canadienne de l'industrie des plastiques (ACIP)

For further information: Marc Robitaille, Omniplast and ACIP : Mobile [phone]; HATLEY Strategy Advisors contact: Alexandra Dionne Charest, 514 316-7084, [email protected]