Toronto council agrees bag fee and bottle ban

packagingnews.co.uk, 03 December 2008

 

Toronto retailers must charge customers five cents to use plastic bags from 1 June, under a raft of new waste-reduction measures approved by its city council yesterday (2 December).

 

The councillors agreed to a package of measures that includes an immediate ban on the sale of bottled water at city hall that extends to other city facilities over the next two years.

 

Mayor David Miller described the new rules as "very progressive measures" to help the city reach its goal to divert 70% cent of waste from landfill by the end of 2010.

 

Despite intense industry lobbying, council rejected calls for voluntary compliance on efforts to cut the volume of retail packaging.

 

The council also agreed:

 

* A ban on plastic bags that are incompatible with the city's recycling program by 1 June 2010