Since being introduced in June 2009 the 5 cent plastic bag "purchase" has been in effect in most GTA stores insluding Caledon. The fee, meant to encourage shoppers to use reusable bags, goes to the retailer not to the municipality

FROM CITY PULSE - MONDAY, MAY 14, 2012
Excert of article by Chris Kitching

Toronto mayor wants to scrap 5 cent plastic bag fee

[Toronto] Mayor Rob Ford is moving forward with a promise to eliminate the city's five-cent plastic bag fee.

At Monday's executive committee meeting, Ford will table a motion asking council members for their support in his bid to scrap the fee, which was introduced June 1, 2009, when former mayor David Miller was in office.

Ford chairs the 13-member committee, which is filled with his allies.

Representatives of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation and Canadian Plastics Industry Association have signed up to speak about the proposal at the meeting.

On his weekly radio talk show Sunday, Ford said the tax has served its purpose and needs to be scrapped, repeating a vow he made last year.

The fee generates about $5.4 million a year, but the money doesn't go to the city – it's kept by retailers.

The fee was billed as a way to promote the use of reusable shopping bags and to cut down the amount of bags that wind up at city landfills.

A staff report released Monday calls on the city to ask major retailers to donate a portion of the money they rake in from the fee to help to restore Toronto's tree canopy.