The by-law was passed in June 2019, but the effective start date was July 31st

Starting today, companies that distribute unwanted flyers in Halifax Regional Municipality can be fined.

The by-law was passed last month and lays out when and where distributors could leave flyers - if at all. HRM spokesperson Maggie-Jane Spray tells NEWS 95.7 the new rules prohibit anyone from throwing flyers on lawns and driveways.

"Definitely one of the motivators is to reduce any litter created when flyers are delivered improperly, so, for example, if they're delivered in a driveway it can result in them ending up in ditches and we just want to make sure that we're reducing our litter as much as possible," explains Spray.

She says other motivations behind the by-law are "to set out appropriate locations on a property where flyers can be delivered, and to reduce the occurrence of unwanted flyers being delivered."

Spray adds the by-law also provides clarity to residents on who they should contact if don't want flyers anymore

Residents can also post a sign that is at least four and a half by five inches in size with black 38 point lettering to stop flyer delivery.

Residents can also get a 'no flyer sticker' from any of the customer service storefronts throughout the municipality, or from a variety of recreational centres, says Spray.

Individual offenders face a $20 fine while companies can be ticketed $250.