After the 30-13 vote that included other environmental measures, Toronto Mayor David Miller said the concept of "free" bags was a fallacy, the Toronto Star reported.

"There's a cost to the city and the people of Toronto in disposing of them, there's a cost to the environment and there's a cost to the retailers," Miller said.

The measure will go into effect in June.

Another part of the bylaw that was more contentious was the ban of the sale of bottled water at City Hall and civic centers. By 2011, the ban will widen to include city-owned properties such as arenas and theaters, the report said.

"I don't believe as Canada's largest purveyor of tap water we should be selling water in our facilities," Miller said.