Businesses mull effects of plastic-bag ban

Toronto's decision to bansingle-use plastic shopping bagshas businessesincluding plastic and paper manufacturerstrying to figure out what it will mean for their bottom line.

At Atlas Paper in Scarborough, their machines are constantly humming, churning outtwo million paper bags a dayfor clientsincluding Sobeys, Metro, and Tim Hortons.

Owner Charlie Provvidenza said he expectshis business to get even busier.

"It's going toincrease our bottom line again, and it's going toincrease productivity," he said. "Also, we're going to be employing more people."

He expects big grocers to stick with reusable bags, but smaller stores and clothing retailerswould likely go with paper.

"Our jobs are going togrow, which we lost in the early '70s, but it's going togrow a little bit more because, of course, the volumes have to go up," he said.

'Environmentally, you won't see them in the streets, you're not going to see them in the waterways, you won't see them in the parks.' Jo-Anne St. Godard, Recycling Council of Ontario

Provvidenza said the plastic industry will have to adapt, just as he had to back in the 1970s when plastic first took over.

That wouldbe cold comfort atthe Retail Bag Company, where David Clarance worries about losing 40 per cent of his sales. He said the city should have consulted the industry.

"It's not giving the industry a lot of time to adapt and make changes and, you know, adjust their inventories," he said.

Clarance said reusable plastic bags don't help the Canadian economy.

"The reusable bags are made in China, so there's more offshore jobs going to China and less people working in Canada," he said.

'I don't want to do it'

Grocery store manager Mario Masellis said he believes banning plastic outright goes too far.

He said a typical plastic bag costs retailers one cent, while a paper bag costs four centsa difference that he said will add up to thousands of dollars.

Masellisdoubts whether retailers will comply.

"I don't want todo it," he said. "There are a lot of expenses that retailers have anyway. This would be just an added expense."

However, the Liquor Control Board of Ontario saidit has actually made money since it began phasing out plastic bags in 2008. They'vekept 80 million plastic bags a year out of the landfill and, through reusable bag sales, made nearly $1 million.

Meanwhile, the Recycling Council of Ontario said the environment is the big winner, with about 215 million fewer bags in the system about 1,400 tonnes.

"Environmentally, you won't see them in the streets,you're not going tosee them in the waterways, youwon't see them in the parks, and you certainly won't see them in the waste stream either," said executive director Jo-Anne St. Godard.