Plastic Bag Ban

Yesterday was kind of a big deal to environmentalists in Toronto, because council was voting on the use, charges and ultimately, what ended up being the ban, of plastic bags in the city.  The mayor, who is sometimes viewed as a joke, or at the very least unprofessional, with many residents, had asked council to remove the $0.05 charge for plastic bags in retail and grocery stores.  In typical Mayor Ford style however, he was slightly embarrassed when council actually voted to get rid of plastic bags altogether starting January 1, 2013.  This vote which ended up being a great environmental impact for the city, wouldn't have occurred had Mayor Ford not brought up the cost of the bags- so I suppose we should thank him for that.

Unfortunately, the actual vote to lift the charge for plastic bags was passed, and from July 1, 2012 until December 31, 2012, consumers will not be charged the $0.05 fee.  While, the mayor is happy he was able to get rid of the fee, he doesn't support, nor think the ban of plastic bags will stick, though many European and American cities have already done away with plastic bags with good success.  Toronto is the first major Canadian city to make this giant step towards being more "green".  Retailers will have the option to provide or charge for alternate bags such as paper and cloth.