Toronto Mayor Rob Ford had been lobbying for the city to drop its 5-cent-a-bag fee, which has been in effect since 2009, but a motion to ban plastic bags was tabled and voted on before the mayor could take the floor with his proposal.
According to a report from City Manager Joseph Pennachetti, bag usage in Toronto has declined an estimated 53% since the introduction of the 5-cent fee.
The city estimated that in 2008, 457 million plastic bags were used in Toronto. The current estimate is about 215 million bags annually, which would generate about £3.5m million in revenue to the city.
