Toronto plastic bag ban may be scrapped

Opponents of the ban on plastic bags in Toronto hope to overturn the ban by defeating the bylaw needed to pass it later this month.

In June, Toronto city council approved a plan to stop retailers from supplying plastic bags to customers beginning January 1st, 2013.

A staff report on the new bylaw estimates that it would cost about $400 000 alone to tell both retailer and the public about the ban and recommends not imposing fines until July 2013.

According to the Globe and Mail, some councillors have had second thoughts about the ban, and opponents of the measure see the bylaw vote as a chance to undo the decision without the usual two-thirds majority required to reverse a vote within a year.

Councillor Denzil Minnan-Wong, however, says that overturning the ban by defeating the bylaw would open the door to revisiting issues again and again, essentially going against the spirit of council.

Flickr photo by: yanec

STORY WRITTEN BY CATLIN SPENCER