Toronto City Council has approved a controversial waste prevention proposal where shoppers will have to pay five cents for plastic bags at retailers.
The proposal was put forward in order to help divert some 460 million plastic bags a year from landfills. Several ideas had been tossed around - including a 10 cent rebate on reusable shopping bags.
The city hopes the new measure will help it reach its goal of diverting 70 per cent of waste from landfills by 2010.
The charge for plastic bags will go into effect from June 2009. The cost will apply at all grocery, retail, convenience and independent shops in Toronto.
Council also voted to ban the sale of bottled water at city civic centres and to ban plastic take-out food containers that are not compatible with the city's blue bin program by February 28, 2011.
