Montreal's single-use plastics bylaw coming into effect

The bylaw banning certain single-use items comes into effect on March 28 in Montreal. The city says it will support the 8,400 food stores and restaurants in this ecological transition.

As of March 28, cups, glasses, sticks, straws and plastic utensils, whether compostable or not, will be banned in food stores and restaurants.

Plastic cups, glasses, straws and sticks will also be banned for take-out and delivery. Utensils will be allowed if requested by the customer.

The ban also applies to the following polystyrene (#6) or compostable (#7) plastic products, whether for take-out or for use on the premises: plates, containers, lids, trays (except those for raw meat and fish) and utensils.

"The reduction of residual materials at source must be a priority for everyone, for the benefit of future generations," explained the person responsible for the ecological transition and the environment within the executive committee, to recall the reasons for this regulation.

Marie-Andrée Mauger invited the media to a downtown restaurant on Thursday morning.

"When the only landfill in the Montreal region reaches its full capacity in 2029, we have no choice but to accelerate the reduction of waste at the source," said Mauger, who is also a borough councillor in Verdun. "We must respect the limits of ecosystems. If everyone lived like we do in Montreal, in Quebec, it would take four planets to sustain the rate at which we consume resources."

Mauger noted that the 19 boroughs of the City of Montreal are covered by the new regulation. She also hopes that the new bylaw will help beautify the city.

"We notice that our bins, in the streets and parks, are full and littered with single-use items," she said.

UP TO $4,000 IN FINES

The Valerie Plante administration said the city's 8,400 food businesses and restaurants have been educated and informed in various ways since the bylaw was passed 18 months ago.

For example, "a call campaign," via the Affaires Montréal telephone line, has been launched and leaflets have been distributed.

City inspectors will be able to issue notices of violation on the first visit, but on the second or subsequent offence, merchants will be subject to fines ranging from $400 to $4,000.

"We don't expect that on day one, there will be no more banned items in circulation. We're going to show some tolerance, give merchants time to clear their stock, because we don't want this regulation to generate waste," said Mauger.

However, she did not specify what would be "a reasonable time to sell out."

The new regulation does not apply to non-profit food aid organizations or establishments that only offer a home delivery service such as caterers. It also does not apply to food pre-packaged outside the establishment.

The regulation also does not apply to plastic-coated cups, glasses and cardboard containers (compostable or not).

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on March 23, 2023.