Guelph to implement next phase of ban on single-use plastics
Global News
The city council in Guelph, Ont., is poised to vote on new measures to ban single-use plastics that include allowing customers to bring their own reusable cups for beverages.
The City of Guelph is taking the next steps in eliminating single-use plastics.
A recommendation was passed at council’s committee of the whole meeting last Tuesday in support of Phase Two of the city’s Single-Use Items Reduction Strategy.
Starting March 1, 2025, businesses must accept a customer’s clean, reusable drink cup for beverages served in stores. Business must also offer single-use accessory food ware (such as utensils, cup sleeves, and stir sticks) only when requested by a customer, with the exception of straws. Paper shopping bags must also contain at least 40 per cent post-consumer recycled content.
The idea of allowing customers to bring in their own reusable cups was brought up at the meeting as an alternative to imposing fees on disposable beverage cups. There were some concerns about health and safety as to how businesses will be able to accommodate accepting reusable cups or containers as the city and the rest of the world are coming off COVID-19 measures.
“There are handling procedures put in place to ensure there is no cross-contamination,” said Heather Connell, technical services manager for solid waste resources at the City of Guelph.
“We have consulted Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health. There are others in the province that are also doing this.”
The first phase of the strategy banned businesses from offering plastic shopping bags and polystyrene take-out containers in 2023. Connell said the phased-in approach was done to ensure compliance and to make the transition easier for businesses. She added she doesn’t expect there will be any difficulties moving forward.
“We only heard about 12 businesses that were not adhering to the requirements,” she said. “We conducted an education-first approach. Most of them were able to comply after receiving their educational visit. Some businesses said they were using up current supplies and would switch over to the new materials.”
Bird flu has spread far and wide, infecting a range of species like chickens, skunks, cows, foxes and polar bears. But it's the pigs that have experts on high alert.
The CFIA has recalled E. coli-tainted carrots, following a U.S. health warning about the contaminated produce linked to one death and dozens of illnesses.
Health Canada said there was an issue with the braking system of the Stokke YOYO baby stroller, sold between August and October this year.
These editorial stories and interviews will focus on the people, companies, research, and innovations leading the environmental and sustainable movement in B.C.
Bennett had just returned from the school run last week when she found the mom and a baby raccoon unconscious, with one of the babies sleeping on the furniture.
B.C. health authorities have announced the first case of a human avian flu infection acquired in Canada, with the teenage patient in critical condition in hospital.
People have been hearing a lot about H5N1 bird flu — or highly pathogenic avian influenza — since a B.C. teen became the first human to get the virus in Canada and is in hospital.
The Liberal government and the NDP negotiated the substance of a pharmacare bill as part of their now-defunct supply-and-confidence agreement.
Kennedy ran as an independent presidential candidate but gave Trump his endorsement with a promise to have a role in health policy in the next Trump administration.
Emergency services are at the scene of a train derailment Thursday morning on Montreal's south shore, where they are urging citizens to stay away from the area.
"I was yelling at them saying get the F** away it’s a wild animal," resident Josh Merrin told Global News. "Sorry about my language."