i think the bag tax is an excellent idea, er, it would be if the monies would get put aside to fund enviro projects. i'm gonna have to figure out what i'm going to put my garbage into if the tax gets approved!
I think the tax seems like some sort of ploy to boost the lumber companies profit in paper bag products. I do not really buy the idea that the paper manufacturers are only utilizing by-products of wood processing. They say that trees are a "renewable" resource.... but there are many factors that say different, especially when it comes to replanting. They might be able to replace the trees or double the amount replaced... but they can not replace the old growth that it takes time to grow. Humans have not been known to be patient, especially the ones that run corporations. As for plastics being a non-renewable source... there are many forms that are renewable. One such example.... instead of taxing plastic bags or paper... maybe they could offer a .25 discount per bag, for people that bring in reusable bags, such as cloth or wickers.
I have noticed that a lot of large chain grocery stores sell re-usable grocery bags at the checkout, and that trend seems to be slowing catching on in Ontario.
very intelligent, i rarely actually check out the links in ppls posts. i agree with the above post, get into politics please
Funny, but when I worked retail a lot of seniors i saw had their own cloth or plastic bags and/ or wheelie carts or they would comment on wanting to switch over to them.
I think it's a good Idea. I made myself some cloth bags for shopping out of material I found at a garage sale. It cost me next to nothing to make the bags and I have been using them for two years. I have also had loads of groceries over 24 pounds in one bag. and don't tell me the poor suffer a bag tax... if they are poor they would try to save money by buying cloth bags or using bins and such to carry groceries, as well as not buying all those tv dinners and pre-and then re- packaged meals that cost twice as much and have three times more garbage then home cooked meals... when people are living off money/housing/food that they are given it is only the exception that appreciates it and does not take it for granted. waste comes easy when you dont face any consequences and didn't have to earn that money by working... In winnipeg most grocery stores are starting to chage for plastic bags and there was even talk of charging people for excess garbage bags on the curb. that didn't go through in part because a study found that the people that were throwing out more garbage were usually the poorest families... figure that one out. the families with "less" could afford to through out more?
we have garbage limits here too. i think it just went down to one can per household, but we've got a great recycling program. they're even talking about collecting compostable food waste and starting a recycling program for disposable diapers (which are extremely gross in the first place, but at least they wont end up as landfill)
A little judgemental on the poor? It is far past the time of the 3 r's mentality. You can only go so far as to where the people will partipate in the awareness. Sure, you can tax all of the garbage, but what would those taxes be used for? Most likely the furthest thing from the enviornment... is where those taxes would be used. The taxpayers will have to support many other things, including the build up and supply of Harper's defense spending. The true way would to be focusing on biodegradable plastics such as cornstarch plastics. Taxing the bags most likely does make people think about all the extra bags they use, but in this throw away world, people are worried about convience.... and that is what they will spend that extra taxes on. It is ok for the rich to shop at Macy's spend thousands of dollars on one item, that come with more packaging than any tv dinner, than it is for a poor person that buys thier tv dinner? Maybe they should think of taxing the department store waste, where people buy things that suit thier fancy of want, instead of the places where people buy food to survive and feed thier body. Question is.... would the extra tax benefit the enviornment? Or would it benefit the politicians, the plastic companies, and the trash corporations? Or ... are the grocers sick of footing the bills for the free bags that they give out... and wanting to make that god almighty extra profit?
At the 2 chains I mostly shop at, bags are $.05 each. I have several cloth bags that I made myself, but I do reuse the ones I get free from other stores. The "reusable" ones the stores sell for $2 each feel like reinforced paper, like a hospital gown. Maybe this tax will get more people thinking. I'm in Ontario, BTW.
thumbs up on the bag tax.... I've two or three fantasticly huge cloth bags that I use for groceries, I almost never use store bags, neither paper nor plastic.
o.0 That was a well thought out and in-depth comment about the Canadian Taxing system. I'm convinced! (not) ... The future of progressive politics is in embracing the real merits of a modern market society while realizing that the correction of evil is, more than ever, possible via measures like Pigovian Tax.
Education, road maintenance, infrastructure and all the many facets of healthcare are all micro-managed by the provinces - and in many cases - the municipalities. Not the federal government tax system deary, but keep trying. I am hoping that this money goes into somebody's pension, someone's healthcare coverage and services, or a jump-start mechanism for curb-side composting proposals - which are common place in certain municipalities in Canada - like dear nimh has previously mentioned.
