With a plastic bag ban set to take effect in Salmon Arm next month, the mayor is now turning his attention to paper bags.

Mayor Alan Harrison says he wants people to use reusable bags when they are shopping, pointing out that as of July 1, paper bags will cost 15 cents, with the price increasing to 25 cents in January.

“We don’t think that recycling is the answer to helping with the environmental problem because there is so much recycled material out there, that the value of the material, cardboard and paper, has gone way down and retailers actually can’t get rid of it. They have to pay to get rid of it.”

Harrison says their bylaw will exempt some paper and plastic bags used to wrap loose fruits and vegetables for example, due to health reasons.

“At this time we don’t have a plan necessarily to take those exemptions out. We might try to move to more organic packaging because there is some things where you need small bags to carry things, we understand that. We just want to make it as environmentally friendly as possible.”

Single use plastic bags will be outlawed in Salmon Arm next January, and Harrison wants to encourage people to use reusable shopping bags.