Paper and plastic grocery bags are a continuing problem for the city, both as litter and in landfills  To discourage their use, the city has proposed a tax on each bag, to be paid by the supermarkets that supply them
Several environmental groups, however, oppose the tax, despite having brought the issue to the council' s attention in the first place
Supermarkets plan to pass the tax on to consumers, who are unlikely to change their behavior based on the small increase in their grocery bills.