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Edmonton has officially banned businesses from giving out plastic shopping bags and styrofoam food containers. Here’s what you need to know.
What is happening?
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Edmonton city council passed the single-use item reduction bylaw in October. It came into effect this past Saturday.
The purpose is to reduce waste, according to the city, by targeting items that can be easily avoided or replaced with a reusable alternative.
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It covers shopping bags, foam take-out containers, single-use cups, and plastic utensils. The bylaw applies to most organizations that have a business licence while charities have exemptions.
How will it change how I shop?
Charging for plastic shopping bags has been common for years — but no longer.
Businesses can’t offer plastic bags anymore, not even for a price. Instead, shoppers need to pay at least 15 cents for a paper bag or at least $1 for a new reusable bag.
A year from now on July 1, 2024, the surcharge will increase to 25 cents for a paper bag and $2 for a new reusable bag.
The hope is Edmontonians get in the habit of bringing their own bags to reduce the amount of bags thrown away after a single use.
There are exceptions for produce, baked goods and other unpackaged foods, medication from a pharmacist, and items in bulk.
How will it change dining in and take-out?
As anyone who has gone through a drive-thru over the weekend may have noticed, take-out food orders also no longer come in plastic bags. Paper bags cost 15 cents from restaurants as well.
Paper and other disposable cups can no longer be the default for dine-in service — anyone who orders a drink to stay is supposed to be served in a reusable cup. Every restaurant must also have a policy for when and how they accept customers’ reusable cups and mugs.
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Styrofoam cups, Styrofoam plates and other Styrofoam containers are banned outright. Restaurants that offer take-out will need to give customers their food in other types of containers.
Utensils, straws, napkins, and condiments are only available on request or at self-serve stations, not by default.
Why is this happening?
An estimated 450 million single-use items are thrown away every year, making up 10,000 tonnes of garbage, according to the city.
While the city wants to reduce waste and cause people to be more thoughtful, officials previously acknowledged they don’t expect a huge reduction immediately — especially not from drive-thrus — but the goal is to change habits over time.
City councillors have been talking about a plastic ban in Edmonton for years to reduce waste. Staff were researching bans in other jurisdictions dating back to the summer of 2018. For instance, Victoria banned plastic bags in 2017 becoming the first municipality in B.C. to do so. Closer to home, Wood Buffalo Regional Municipality banned single-use bags in 2010 and Banff’s new single-use item bylaw came into effect the same day as Edmonton, last Saturday.
Edmonton’s bylaw is coming into force ahead of similar and more stringent rules from the Canadian government — check-out bags, cutlery, food service ware (including foam containers), stir sticks and straws cannot be sold as of Dec. 20, 2023. Edmonton’s bylaw focuses on waste reduction while the federal changes largely focus on plastics.
Visit edmonton.ca/SingleUse for more information.
lboothby@postmedia.com
@laurby
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