(Montreal) The by-law banning certain single-use items comes into effect on March 28 in Montreal. The City claims to support the 8,400 food businesses and restaurants in this ecological transition.
From March 28, cups, glasses, stir sticks, straws, plastic utensils, whether compostable or not, will be prohibited in food stores and restaurants.
Plastic cups, glasses, straws and stirrers will also be prohibited for take-out orders and deliveries. As for utensils, they will be allowed if the customer requests them.
The ban also applies to the following polystyrene (#6) or compostable (#7) plastic products, whether on the premises or to take away: plates, containers, lids, trays (except those for raw meats and fish) and utensils .
“The reduction at source of residual materials must be a priority for everyone, for the benefit of future generations”, explained the person in charge of the ecological transition and the environment within the executive committee, to recall the reasons for this regulation.
Marie-Andrée Mauger had invited the media to a restaurant in the city center on Thursday morning.
“While the only landfill in the Montreal area will have reached full capacity in 2029, we have no choice, collectively, to accelerate reduction at the source,” added the one who is also an advisor to borough in Verdun.
“You have to respect the limits of the ecosystems. If everyone lived like us in Montreal, Quebec, it would take four planets to support the rate at which we consume resources, “said the elected official, specifying that the 19 boroughs of the city of Montreal are covered by the new regulation.
Marie-Andrée Mauger also hopes that it will beautify the city.
“We notice that our bins, in the streets and parks, are full and littered with single-use items. »
The 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 Business Montreal phone line, was launched and flyers were distributed.
City inspectors will be able to give notices of offense during the first visit, but from the second offense, merchants are exposed to fines ranging from $400 to $4,000.
“It is not expected that on day one there will be no banned items in circulation. We are going to show a certain tolerance, give traders time to sell their stock, because we do not want this regulation to generate waste, ”explained Marie-Andrée Mauger.
However, it did not specify what would be a “reasonable time for stock to run out.”
The new regulation does not apply to non-profit food aid organizations, establishments that only offer a home delivery service such as caterers. It also does not apply to food prepackaged outside the establishment.
Also, the regulation does not apply to plastic-coated cups, glasses and cardboard containers (compostable or not).
