411 on single-use plastics ban in Alberta
Back in June 2022, the federal government published Single-Use Plastics Prohibition Regulations, which prohibit the manufacturing, importation, and sale of most single-use plastics. This approach seeks to transition Canada away from a linear economy that disposes of plastic as waste towards a circular economy that keeps plastic in the economy and out of the environment. They are hoping to achieve this through activities such as: better product design and higher rates of reuse, repair, remanufacture, refurbishment, and recycling. As you can imagine, this will affect many in the Alberta Hospitality Industry.
Some of the prohibited categories include:
Straws / Stir sticks
Cutlery
Bags
Containers / Food service ware
Ring carriers that go around beverages
Timelines You Need To Know
December 20, 2022 – Manufacturing and importation of the above goods will be prohibited for checkout bags, cutlery, food service wear, stir sticks, and straws.
June 20, 2023 – Manufacturing and importation of the above goods will be prohibited for ring carriers
December 20, 2023 – Sales will be prohibited for checkout bags, cutlery, food service wear, stir sticks, and straws. Giving businesses time to go through their existing stock.
June 20, 2024 – Sales will be prohibited for ring carriers. Giving businesses time to go through their existing stock.
What You Need To Do
If you currently import, export, or sell any of the above items (for a comprehensive list click here) you will need to inform your suppliers and customers of the prohibitions and plan to cease the import, export and sale by the deadline dates.
Begin to look for alternatives for the single-use plastics you currently utilize. Many options exist from a range of non-plastic materials, such as wood, paper and moulded pulp fibre. The Government of Canada put together a comprehensive document to help people find alternatives. You can find that here. And it would be beneficial to do so sooner rather than later, given lots of organizations and businesses will be affected, so lead time, availability, cost and quality could be determined by the promptness of your order.