Associated Press 04.19.08

An ubiquitous chemical found in hard plastic water bottles, DVDs, CDs and hundreds of other common items came under increased pressure Friday when Canada said it's potentially harmful and may ban its use in baby bottles. Health Canada made the announcement shortly after a U.S. company said it would stop selling hard-plastic Nalgene water bottles made with bisphenol A because of growing consumer concern over whether the chemical poses a health risk.

Link: Canada Says Chemical In Hard Plastic Bottles May Be Unsafe

Scientific American 04.18.08

Canada intends to become the first country to ban the import and sale of some types of plastic baby bottles because they contain a chemical that the government says could harm infants and toddlers. Health Minister Tony Clement said on Friday he would bring in rules to outlaw plastic polycarbonate baby bottles, perhaps within the next year. These bottles are made with bisphenol A, which is also used in food and water containers.

Link: Canada Plans To Ban Polycarbonate Baby Bottles

Yahoo News 04.18.08

Canada is moving to get rid of products with a chemical common in plastic baby bottles, the United States is expressing concern over its safety and some retailers are planning to stop selling these items. But whether the chemical bisphenol A poses genuine health risks in people remains a matter of debate, with industry groups defending its safety and environmental activists saying studies involving animals show otherwise.

Link: Debate Rages Over Plastic Bottle Chemical's Safety

USA Today 04.21.08

Canada's proposed ban on a hormone-like chemical in baby bottles has spurred U.S. retailers and legislators to try to phase out use of the ingredient, called bisphenol A, or BPA. Canada's announcement Friday came just days after the National Toxicology Program, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, found "some concern" that low levels of BPA cause changes in behavior and the brain, prostate gland, mammary gland and the age at which girls enter puberty.

Link: More US Retailers Give BPA The Boot

The Chronicle West End Edition 01.16.08

Having lived in Europe for a decade, I find most of North America painfully slow in enacting the appropriate legislation to promote environmental sustainability. While Leaf Rapids, Manitoba and Huntington, Quebec may have banned plastic bags here at home, these are isolated and community-based initiatives; not country-wide legislation that could make a serious dent in the issue.

I recognize that, thanks to Hollywood and Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth", the environment has become a fashionable cause to rally behind. "Statement" cotton bags are all the rage! Last year's Anja Hindmarch-designed and much-hyped about "I'm not a plastic bag" tote, became an immediate seller, as fashion-conscious shoppers clamored to get their hands on one. I'm no better, professing a love for my "Plastic bags blow" organic cotton shopping bag, available from www.reusablebags.com.

Sure these bags have become trendy in a shallow and vain sort of way, but –again—I don't care how people come about their environmental consciousness, as long as they do and as long as every little decision and step along the way contributes to making plastic bags passé and a relic of the past.

Link: Plastic Bags Blow, People!

Ontario Ministry of the Environment 05.09.07

Ontario's government has struck a deal with industry leaders to markedly reduce the number of plastic bags distributed in Ontario over the next five years. The pact includes commitments to a goal to reduce the use of plastic bags by 50% in five years; consideration of in-store and Blue Box recycling programs for Ontario stores and consumer education initiatives to promote the reduction, reuse and recycling of bags already in circulation.  The program also includes annual monitoring and reporting to ensure progress is made. 

“It’s very encouraging that industry is ready and willing to take on this challenge publicly and work with us to dramatically reduce, re-use and recycle more in Ontario,” said Ontario Environment Minister Laurel Broten. “Ontarians use almost 80 plastic bags per second –  that’s close to seven million bags every day. Reducing the volume of plastic bags that end up in landfills is a top priority for us,” she added. 

Link: Ontario Government Targets 50% Reduction in Plastic Bags by 2012

North Bay Nugget

North Bay council is encouraging residents to help protect the environment and extend the life of the landfill by using fewer plastic bags.

Council, after much debate, adopted a motion tabled Monday by Coun.
Chris Mayne congratulating the Manitoba town of Leaf Rapids as the first Canadian municipality to ban plastic shopping bags and encouraging local residents to use reusable carrying bags and boxes when possible...

Link: Leaf Rapids first Canadian municipality to ban plastic shopping bags.

CBC News

The northern Manitoba town of Leaf Rapids became the first municipality in Canada to ban plastic shopping bags on April 2, 2007.

"Everybody's on board," Mayor Ed Cherrier said. "Our Co-op store and Fields, they're really supporting our initiative. And in fact, our Co-op store has offered a challenge to all of Federated to go bag-free across Canada."

Link: Canadian Town Bans Plastic Bags.

City News

Councillor Glenn De Baeremaeker (Ward 38 - Scarborough Centre) wants to reduce the numbers of plastic bags that Ontarians throw out - by 80% to 90% - by introducing a 25-cent per bag levy.

Said the Councillor, "It is a lot of money, and it's a lot of waste that's being created and it's a lot of energy being consumed to create a product that really is very, very bad for the environment...So what this would do, hopefully, is encourage people to go to cloth bags, paper bags and reusable bags."

Link: City Councillor Calls For Tax On Plastic Bags.

Westcoaster.ca

Tofino’s committee of the whole backed recommendations that may soon require the district to purchase recycled office-supply products and hybrid vehicles. Committee members will also write local businesses, asking how the community can cut down on the use of non-biodegradable plastic bags.

Coun. Derek Shaw, the author of the resolutions, said the purpose of the policies is to ensure the District of Tofino promotes ecologically and socially sustainable products. He said council should consider joining a socially sustainable purchasing network.

Link: Tofino Embraces Hybrids, Trashes Plastic Bags.