When top level USA execs from the plastics plant that first produced garbage bags showed up they wanted to know if there was a local ordinance requiring people to wrap the stinky, leaky, stuff in plastic bags.

The reply was no, this is a product that people are freely choosing to use, in the market place.

The switch from everybody burning garbage probably had something to do with this. 

Family homes had backyard burning barrels. Apartments had always on incinerators in the basement. CMHC sponsored townhouse complexes had outdoor incinerators that you might have to light yourself. Once garbage had to wait for weekly or biweekly pickup plastic garbage bags kept a wrap on it between pickups. How things have changed since Expo 67.