The LCBO will be forced to resume providing single-use paper bags to customers following a directive from premier Doug Ford.
In a rare imposition, the premier told the government owned corporation to reintroduce paper bags, free of charge.
“I’m requesting that you take immediate steps to reverse the decision to remove paper bags from the LCBO’s retail locations,” the premier wrote in a letter to George Soleas, president and CEO of LCBO on Sunday, according to reports.
“At a time when many Ontario families are already struggling to make ends meet, every additional expense counts. That includes charging customers for reusable bags instead of the free paper bags that the LCBO previously offered,” Ford wrote.
NEW – Premier Ford writes the LCBO asking it to overturn its decision to not provide free paper bags.
— Richard Southern (@RichardCityNews) April 8, 2024
“At a time when many Ontario families are already struggling to make ends meet, every additional expense counts. That includes charging customers for reusable bags” pic.twitter.com/h606DCd72F
The liquor board first implemented a ban on paper bags last September in an effort to reduce its environmental impact and to encourage its customers to bring their own or purchase a reusable one in-store.
READ MORE: Bring your own bag at LCBO, stores are phasing out paper bags in Ontario
The LCBO confirmed to Now Toronto in a statement on Monday that it had “received direction from the provincial government to re-introduce single-use paper bags and will begin taking the necessary steps to do so.”
The company was not able to confirm when paper bags would be available but said it would “share more details with our valued customers in the coming weeks.”
Ontarians have been responding to the ban reversal online.
“It clearly illustrates his [Ford’s] disregard for the real issues Ontarians are facing along with absolutely no concern for any aspect of our environment,” one X user wrote.
“For the issues that matter, there’s Doug Ford,” another person said.
“He is such an embarrassment to Ontario,” someone else wrote.
In April 2023, the LCBO said phasing out paper bags would divert 2665 tonnes of waste from landfills, remove almost 135 million paper bags annually from LCBO stores and save the equivalent of more than 188,000 trees a year.
Now Toronto reached out to Doug Ford’s office for comment but did not receive a response in time for publication.
