City of Vancouver increasing paper bag fee in the New Year
Posted December 31, 2022 5:48 pm.
Last Updated December 31, 2022 5:53 pm.
Come the New Year, the City of Vancouver is increasing the minimum fee on paper bags. The fee increase is part of a series of bylaws aimed at reducing single-use items, as the city works towards its zero waste goal by 2040.
According to the city’s advisory, the raised minimum fees imposed are “consistent with fees in other B.C. municipalities.”
The minimum fee for paper bags is currently at $0.15 and will be raised to $0.25. The minimum charge for new reusable bags is $1 but when Sunday comes, it will be $2. As for cups, the minimum fee still sits at $0.25, with the exception for free drinks.
Plastic shopping bags are banned in Vancouver & fees are charged on paper & new reusable bags.
Starting Jan. 1, minimum fees increase to $0.25 for paper & $2 for new reusable bags.
To avoid fees, Bring Your Own Bag when you shop. Learn more at ➡️ https://t.co/JZDAb4G1qz pic.twitter.com/rTUmDTz14y
— City of Vancouver (@CityofVancouver) December 31, 2022
The bag fee and ban on plastic bags, cups, and straws were put in place in Jan. 2022. Establishments are required to accept customers’ clean reusable cups for drinks ordered in-store.
As for single-use utensils, customers must ask for them if they want them. Accessible straws – or flexible plastic variations wrapped in paper – must still be provided upon request to people who need them to drink or eat.
Related stories:
-
City of Vancouver reducing winter compost collection
-
Canada to ban imports, production of single-use plastic by Dec. 20
-
B.C. plastic recycling fund aims to encourage businesses
The city says it does not collect the fees paid on paper bags and new reusable bags, payment from bag fees are kept by businesses.
It is estimated that in 2018, about 89 million plastic shopping bags and 4 million paper shopping bags, and 103 million In 2018, 103 million single-use utensils were thrown in the garbage in Vancouver.
Only 6% of Vancouver residents reported that they bring foam to a recycling depot. As a result, the majority of single-use foam cups and foam take-out containers are not recycled but are instead sent to landfill.
