Thursday, June 7, 2012

Banning plastic shopping bags: How about some notice of major legislative initiatives? Process? City bylaws aren't the Game of Life

Whatever the merits of banning single use plastic shopping bags (and there seem to be some), banning the use of such bags is a major legislative change for the City of Toronto.

Plastic bags are a significant part of shopping -- they are used and reused by consumers. Replacing the single use bags by paper will involve costs. Manufacturers of single use plastic bags will lose business and thus jobs in Canada and it isn't clear paper bags will pick up the slack.

Briefly put this is a big deal.

And big deals in municipal government aren't supposed to be made of the fly.

There should have been a notice of motion, public input and, after consultation with retailers and industry, a decision. Process matters but Toronto City Council seems unable to understand that.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

The lefties like it because they think it embarrasses mayor Ford.

That is as far as the thought process goes for them.

Paper bags are more expensive and use more energy to make. Cloth bags carrying food is a health hazard.

You are right.It is a big deal.

Will the Star be banned from putting newspapers in them for delivery clients? My guess is no.

Anonymous said...

Ford is a tool. He has no control of the legislative agenda. This vote is evidence of his incompetence.

Anonymous said...

I rest my case...

The Rat said...

James, have you ever considered at least asking you various anonymi to pick a handle? That exchange above is just strange...

Rotterdam said...

It was a vendetta against Ford. They hate him. They hate the fact he won a election. They hate the fact he is a conservative who is honest enough to admit he struggles to lose weight.......you know what, Ford will get re elected, mark my word.