Bag fee facing debate at City Hall

TORONTO, Ont. – The fate of Toronto’s five-cent plastic bag fee was being debated at City Hall Wednesday.
 
Toronto Mayor Rob Ford wants to kill the fee which he calls a “tax”, but the manager of solid waste says the fee has been a big success in keeping plastic bags out of the dump.

Since the fee was introduced three years ago, solid waste GM Vince Sferrazza said the number of bags heading to the landfill has dropped dramatically.

“We have seen a reduction of plastic bags in the waste stream by approximately 53 per cent every year,” Sferrazza said.

He also told council if the fee is killed, people will likely start tossing bags in the garbage again.

“This program has been successful but it’s possible that some of the bag generation may return back into the waste stream,” Sferrazza explained.

It’s estimated retailers collect about $5.4-million from the fee every year.

The plastic bag fee was was introduced in 2009 by former mayor David Miller, but Mayor Rob Ford wants it to be rescinded effective July 1.

    
  

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