The city of Toronto this week brought in a ban on the use of plastic grocery bags this week that will begin next year and it may be time for all communities in this region to do the same.
There was an initiative a few years ago that saw one of the major grocery chains place a fee on the use of the containers but that soon ended.
There is no pressing reason to continue the use of plastic bags except for convenience sake but that is becoming less and less the case. Many shoppers who are environmentally aware already bring their own reusable containers when they pick up their groceries.
Reusable bags are easy to find and purchase.
Most stores are happy to promote them.
Even businesses would benefit from a ban as they would save money on the purchase of plastic bags and they would also get some profit from selling the reusable containers.
Then there is the bigger picture.
Though a slow process, this region will eventually move to some version of a regional waste system and every piece of garbage that is collected will cost to transport and dispose.
Eliminating grocery bags will reduce the cost of waste disposal for everyone.
And finally, these little white bags are plainly bad for the environment. They take years and years to break down.
Starting the process of imposing a ban on a regional basis makes sense to organize now.
If the biggest municipal region in the country can manage to arrange that, communities in this little region should be able to manage the same with enough good will.
