You will no longer have the hassle of bringing your own bag or paying for a paper bag when grabbing a bite at a local drive-thru restaurant.
That’s thanks to the B.C. government’s Single-Use and Plastic Waste Prevention Regulation which comes into effect Dec. 20, limiting the use of plastic shopping bags, disposable food service accessories, oxo-degradable plastics, as well as food-service packaging made of polystyrene foam, PVC, PVDC, compostable and biodegradable plastics.
To better support businesses and industries to source alternative products, the government has adjusted the roll-out of some items under the regulation until July 15, 2024.
There will be a charge at of least $2 for each new reusable shopping bag and at least .25 cents for each new recycled paper shopping bag.
The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy explained there will be several exemptions including paper shopping bags used for drive-thru or delivery orders containing food or beverages prepared by the business operator.
However, a grocery order delivery will still be required to charge a fee. People will also not receive items like cutlery and condiments unless they need them.
Delta council this week voted in favour of a staff recommendation to repeal the city’s current plastic ban bylaw in favour of the province’s tougher regulations.
While the option remains for municipalities to retain their single-use items bylaws, staff recommended repealing the bylaw to limit confusion for businesses and the public, a report to council notes.
“One key difference that will be of interest to residents and businesses is that the regulation provides an exemption from the mandatory bag fee for drive-thru and restaurant delivery services. At the time of adoption of Delta’s bylaw, there was no provision by the province for this exemption and it has led to a number of concerns from the public, especially with respect to the fee for paper bags at drive-thru restaurants,” the report explains.
Delta’s bylaw, which primarily focused on plastic bags and foam containers, was adopted in December 2021 and came into effect after a six-month transition period.
The city continued to focus on education and awareness, rather than enforcement, for compliance during that transition.
