The city may or may not go ahead with a full ban on single-use plastic bags, but Coun. Jan Stick is continuing to call for just that right across the country.

While Stick said how she proceeds with the proposal, which she initially brought forward last year, will depend on what further information city staff come forward with, she's also circulating a petition calling for a national ban on the bags.

The petition, which began in Manitoba, notes the bags don't readily biodegrade, there's increased evidence they're detrimental to the environment, are unsightly and hazardous to wildlife when not disposed of properly and are made of petrochemicals, a non-renewable resource.

During a council and senior management meeting at noon Wednesday, Stick continued to speak in favour of an all-out ban, citing litter and environmental problems.

"Deep in my heart, I would still like to see a ban, but this is a democracy and I'll go with what everyone decides," she said in an interview following the meeting.

Other council members said they'd be more likely to favour a potential eco-charge proposal going to the territorial government, education program or possibly banning non-biodegradable or compostable bags as a way of reducing the use of the bags.

The ideas were presented by the city's environmental co-ordinator, Sabine Schweiger, and engineering manager Wayne Tuck.

Schweiger said that while the benefits to litter and waste reduction would be beneficial, there are different options on it.

Before she started speaking, acting Mayor Dave Austin dumped a pile of plastic bags onto the boardroom table in the room where the meeting was held, stating Mayor Bev Buckway had instructed him to do so.

While Schweiger pointed to the issue of wildlife and visible litter, she also pointed out that if the city approaches the matter from a litter reduction issue, then it is only focusing on a fraction of the litter in town.

If the city comes at it as a way to reduce the amount of waste going into the landfill, then there are not many data to indicate how much less plastic would be coming into the landfill.

A number of residents, for example, may start replacing the single-use bags they use again around their homes as small garbage bags with heavier small plastic bags like Kitchen Catchers.

Another issue, she said, is how the city's direction could impact consumer choice.

Schweiger then noted one community has effectively gotten rid of styrofoam with an education campaign rather than an outright ban.

There is one issue with that though, she acknowledged. "Education takes a long time."

Limiting plastic shopping bags to being only biodegradable or compostable would allow for plastic bags to continue to be sold, provided they meet material requirements.

As Schweiger pointed out, completely banning plastic bags could mean more paper bags in town, which could create a whole list of other issues.

Being far heavier than plastic, paper bags cost more to transport into the Yukon and though they can be composted there's more methane being released into the air when they break down.

There could also be an increase in the cost of the bags with fewer options available because demand would go up.

Meanwhile, an eco-charge, similar to the charge paid on cans and bottles in addition to the refundable deposit, is another option that could get consumers to think twice about using the plastic bags, it was suggested.

There could be a full or partial refund attached to the eco-charge as well, council was told. Other countries such as Ireland have already introduced a similar tax, charging shoppers 20 cents for each single-use plastic bag that's bought.

However, that sort of legislation would fall under the territorial government's realm to pass, which would first mean taking the issue to the Association of Yukon Communities (AYC).

Municipalities under the AYC have agreed to pass such resolutions which would impact the whole territory before going directly to the territorial government.

The AYC typically passes its resolutions at its annual general meeting in the spring, then takes them to the Yukon government.

Most councillors spoke in favour of at least an education campaign and looking at possibilities for bag composition and going to the AYC with a proposal for the eco-charge.

With more cloth bags and the larger plastic shopping bins being sold in many stores now, Coun. Florence Roberts said, she has noticed a large reduction in the number of people walking out of stores carrying their purchases in the single-use plastic bags. More and more, shoppers are coming out of stores carrying their items in alternatives to the bags.

Stick, who came to the meeting decked out in a T-shirt with "Paper Bags Blow" written across it and with pins and stickers stating the same thing to hand out after, noted of all the issues she's dealt with on council, this is the one she's received the most comments on.

Residents often ask her what's happening with it and comment the city should go ahead with a ban.

On the federal front, Stick said, she'll keep the petition on hand in her Well-Read Books shop downtown for people who want to sign it when they're in.

Every time the petition is filled, she'll give it to Yukon MP Larry Bagnell to take to Ottawa, she said.

"I remember when plastic bags came out ," she said. "We thought they were the cat's pajamas; they were so cool, they had handles and they didn't rip, but before that, we didn't have them and we did fine."

Paper bags and those with string handles were mainly used prior to the single-use plastic bags inundating the consumer realm, she said.

"It's just ridiculous how much we use and throw away," Stick said of plastic products in general.

At her own shop, she has moved to selling cloth bags with many customers either using them or bringing their own plastic bags they re-use into the store.

Meanwhile, Whitehorse Chamber of Commerce president Rick Karp commented that while something has to be done from an environmental point of view, the city should carefully consider the implications of whatever action it takes and consult the business community.

He suggested an education campaign could also address a variety of environmental issues such as energy conservation and others, rather than simply focusing on plastic bags.

"It's a whole package deal we should really consider," he said.

Moving to an eco-charge would put more pressure on businesses, which would be forced to collect the charges and turn them over to the government, as it already does with the GST and can and bottle deposits and such.

Karp also pointed out banning plastic bags could have additional environment impacts. If businesses moved to paper bags, for example, more trees would have to be cut down.

He noted, as Schweiger did, the cost that could be involved if businesses had to shop for specific bags.

And though many businesses already provide cloth bags with a number of shoppers already having a few, customers don't always bring them when they opt to just drop into a store.

In any case, if there is a ban, it should be grandfathered in so that businesses have a chance to at least use the plastic bags they've already bought, he said.

While he would prefer to know the cost involved in moving to enforcing that bags be compostable or biodegradable, Karp suggested the idea has potential.

At his own Hair Sensations salon on Main Street, the plastic bags he buys aren't compostable or biodegradable, but the business does purchase products that come in containers that are.

"There are suppliers out there," he said.

After Wednesday's noon meeting, staff will continue looking at the issue before a formal recommendation comes forward to council.