Canadian Plastics Industry Groups Files Lawsuit Regarding Toronto’s Ban That’s Eerily Similar to SPBC’s Litigation Strategy in California

The next venue for plastic bag litigation appears to be Toronto, Canada. The Toronto City Council adopted a five-cent plastic bag charge in 2008, which was effective in reducing plastic bag use by 50% and increasing reusable bag use. In May 2012, the City Council adopted a plastic bag ban in response to Toronto Mayor Rob Ford’s call to abolish the five-cent charge. This adoption was done quickly, but relied on the voluminous study behind the original adoption of the 2008 charge.

Earlier this month, the Ontario Convenience Stores Association filed suit against the Toronto City Council claiming that the Council overstepped its authority and did not conduct an appropriate study before adopting the ban. A week later, the Canada Plastic Bag Association (CPBA), which appears to be related to the Canadian Plastics Industry Association (similar to the American Chemistry Council), also filed a lawsuit. CPBA appears hauntingly similar to Save the Plastic Bag Coalition in California in that it is a group primarily made up of plastic bag manufacturers formed specifically to file a lawsuit to overturn a plastic bag ordinance, based in part on environmental grounds.

See this Waste & Recycling News article for more information.