This is stupid, but I would be for it as long as 100% of the quarters collected paid for bike lanes

as long as the retailers use the money collected from the bags to off-set their eco-footprint and not just line their pockets, as most of them are doing now.

I totally agree with James Nadila. I've spent the last year sorting out my garbage the same way as he has done. And yes - lots and lots of dry plastic packaging (mostly food) all going to the landfill or incinerator. It really does seem insane that we are still doing this. And the City takes it away each week so we don't have to look at it. Banning plastic shopping bags would be a start to removing some of this plastic from our lives.

paper bags are a waste of resources as well. A tax and/or deposit would be a good start.

It won't necessarily discourage people from buying them, they typically use the "I'll re-use them for garbage cans" excuse. Plus, this may encourage the "overconsumption" or re-usable bags - in hopes that "next time I'll remember to bring it along"

Forget the fee - ban 'em!

@Greenest City Planning Team: Thanks for the link to the "Ban plastic bags" initiative. I've moved my votes over there: http://vancouver.uservoice.com/forums/56390-gc-2020/suggestions/926155-ban-plastic-bags?ref=title

James Nedila - what kind of food packaging materials are you talking about? If it's meat, go the the butcher, if it's vegies, don't use a plastic bag and stay away from junk food... it is loaded with more crap way worse than plastic.

It's amazing how much a small fee (as little as 5 cents) will do to reduce consumption of plastic bags. First, it forces retailers to ask consumers if they want a bag, which forces consumers to ask themselves if they really need a bag. Often we don't.

After using composters for organic waste, separating out all recyclable materials (glass, pop bottles, tin cans, cardboard & mixed paper), we've got our trash down to the bare minimum.

So what's left after all that is taken out? Plastic.
Plastic bags from food packaging materials.

This stuff doesn't biodegrade for a very long time, and it's the one thing I cannot do anything about myself.

Anything we can do to get rid of plastic that just gets thrown out is a 'good thing' TM.

I agree, just ban them.

FYI there is another idea on the forum to ban plastic bags completely. See here: http://vancouver.uservoice.com/forums/56390-gc-2020/suggestions/926155-ban-plastic-bags?ref=title

Just ban them. A small backpack easily carries everyday shopping. For 'big' shops most folk are only going to load their trolley's content into a car. 'Re-usable' shopping bags have been around for several years now and anyone who hasn't yet adopted them will need some 'forcing' to alter their behaviour.

And who would the money go to? Don't tell me the government...

I know in the UK they have been charging for grocery bags for years and the majority of folks there seem to naturally supply their own. Europe is often a good model for North Americans since resources there are much more costly. I would like to see the $0.25 surcharge (or whatever fee is officially decided), collected for funding an effective City-wide green initiative, such as daylighting our creeks!

I think it's time to eliminate completely the use of plastic bags for groceries. I never, ever accept plastic bags for my groceries.
I always use my own bags.
It doesn't require a lot of effort to do this. It took me 2 days to get accustomed to it.
I invite everyone to do the same. It is really NOT difficult.
Thanks

Although banning is for now the only viable option, but in the end if the war against the climate devastation is to be won it would require public to develop insight or what is called eco-conscientiousness and Corporate Eco-Conscientiousness (CECX), Please google this word to grasp what these terms entail.

Plastic shopping bags use less plastic than plastic garbage bags. So if people still use plastic bags for garbage it would be better to ask for a plastic shopping bag at the supermarket, use that for garbage and never buy plastic garbage bags.

Banning is the way to go. People will only change if forced.

mandate use biodegradable bags made of corn starch.