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| Toronto plastic bag ban surprises Mayor Rob Ford | Toronto plastic bag ban surprises Mayor Rob Ford |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| Toronto has become the first major city in Canada to opt for an outright ban on the use of plastic bags. | |
| The ban was approved by the city council despite Mayor Rob Ford originally only seeking to overturn an existing five cent levy. | The ban was approved by the city council despite Mayor Rob Ford originally only seeking to overturn an existing five cent levy. |
| Plastic bag bans already exist in Seattle, San Francisco and in Fort McMurray, Alberta. | Plastic bag bans already exist in Seattle, San Francisco and in Fort McMurray, Alberta. |
| Mr Ford called the move - proposed for vote only during the debate - the "dumbest thing council has done". | Mr Ford called the move - proposed for vote only during the debate - the "dumbest thing council has done". |
| "And council's done some dumb things, let me tell you," he told a Canadian talk radio programme on Thursday. | "And council's done some dumb things, let me tell you," he told a Canadian talk radio programme on Thursday. |
| The ban, which passed 24-20, was introduced by Councillor David Shiner, an ally of Mr Ford. | The ban, which passed 24-20, was introduced by Councillor David Shiner, an ally of Mr Ford. |
| He said the idea came to him as he read emails about the fee and listened to debate. | He said the idea came to him as he read emails about the fee and listened to debate. |
| "So many other jurisdictions don't permit these bags to be used and there are so many other alternatives," Mr Shiner told CBC News. | "So many other jurisdictions don't permit these bags to be used and there are so many other alternatives," Mr Shiner told CBC News. |
| "The bigger issue is what's happening with 250 million bags that still end up in our landfill every year," he said. | "The bigger issue is what's happening with 250 million bags that still end up in our landfill every year," he said. |
| The five-cent fee will end on 1 July, but the outright ban will not start until 1 January 2013 - allowing stores six months to give out plastic bags free. |