One bag too many: Thunder Bay city council to hear 'bag tag' proposal

One city councillor in Thunder Bay, Ont., believes homeowners should have the option of putting more than two bags of trash at the curb each week, as long as they are willing to pay for it.

Coun. Larry Hebert will ask his colleagues on Monday night to support a "bag tag" system, which would allow people to pay to leave additional containers of trash at the curb for collection.

Thunder Bay city council voted earlier this year, as part of its 2017 budget, to reduce the number of containers allowed for pickup to two.

"So, maybe there's a way that people could either purchase bag tags, or get some for free and then purchase some," said Hebert.

"And also, would it work with people with medical issues, would they get an exemption? How would they recognize that?" 

Hebert said he has received calls of support for the system, including those with large families. He said others are opposed to the idea.

He said the tag system has been used in many communities, with success, including Red Lake and Kenora.