Edmonton moves to ban single-use plastics, Styrofoam containers

The bylaw will ban the use of single-use plastic shopping bags and will impose a mandatory minimum fee on new paper shopping bags and new reusable shopping bags.

Edmonton city council has moved to ban some single-use plastic items and Styrofoam containers by next summer.

The bylaw approved Wednesday will ban the use of single-use plastic shopping bags and will impose a mandatory minimum fee of 15 cents on new paper shopping bags and $1 for new reusable shopping bags. These fees will increase on July 1, 2024 to 25 cents for a paper bag and $2 for a new reusable bag.

Styrofoam containers will also be banned.

In addition, customers at restaurants will be required to ask for single-use accessories like utensils made of any material. Restaurants must serve dine-in drink orders in reusable cups, and restaurants and event organizers must develop policies to allow customers to bring their own reusable drink cups.

The bylaw takes effect July 1, 2023.

“We want to make sure that we are doing whatever we can possibly do to reduce the use of these single-use items,” Mayor Amarjeet Sohi said.

Every year, Edmontonians discard an estimated 450 million single-use items such as shopping bags, takeout containers, cups, utensils and straws. The majority of these items end up in landfills, but they also end up littering streets, parks and other open spaces.

“I think it will allow Edmontonians to, first of all, understand how damaging those single-use items can be to our environment,” Sohi said. “But also, the sightliness of our city. When you go for a walk — I don’t know if it’s just me — but I’m noticing more and more litter on our streets, in our parks, in our river valley.”