A Complete Guide to Canada's Single-Use Plastic Ban

 

The government of Canada's strategy to eliminate all plastic waste by 2030 includes a ban on single-use plastic. Here's an overview, timeline, and specific circumstances that your restaurant should be aware of.

Overview of single-use plastic Issues

Health and environmental effects of single-use plastic

Millions of tons of single-use plastic are manufactured each year to suit the requirements of consumers.  It is intended to be served in a used one. Significant negative effects on the environment and public health are caused by its manufacturing, usage, and inappropriate disposal.

Single-use plastic production pollutes the environment and hastens climate change. Single-use plastic that winds up in landfills and seas takes hundreds of years to disintegrate, which pollutes the environment and puts marine life in danger.

When heated or in touch with food, single-use plastic can emit dangerous chemicals. Additionally, microplastic—made of tiny pieces of plastic—has been discovered in soil, water, and food, all of which pose health problems.

Single-use plastic waste in the food and beverage industry

Single-use plastic including plastic bottles, food containers, straws, stirs, and ring carriers, become indispensable in food and beverage. Now, they become a pressing issue with numerous negative consequences for the environment and human health.

According to the statistics, 12.5 million tones of plastic were used for food production worldwide. Almost 40% of plastic produced is for packaging. But only 9% of plastic waste has ever been recycled.  Regarding Canada, it is estimated that around 3.3 million metric tons of plastic waste annually. For this reason, reducing single-use plastic become an urge for all of us.

Single-use plastic ban in Canada

Explanation of the prohibition on single-use plastics

To achieve zero plastic waste by 2030 and cut greenhouse gas emissions, the Liberal Government formally announced the ban on single-use plastic items in June 2022. The following six categories of single-use plastic are prohibited from manufacture, import, and sale:

·        Check out bags

·        Cutlery includes

·        Food service ware made from or containing problematic plastic

·        Ring carriers

·        Stir sticks

·        Straws

A guide to the six types of single-use plastics banned in Canada.

·        Check-out bags: Single-use plastic bags made totally or partially of plastic will be forbidden. Other plastic bags, such as those used for organic waste composting, recycling, rubbish disposal, bulk food packaging, meat, poultry, flowers, newspaper, and other purposes, are not restricted by regulations.

·        Cutlery: Forks, knives, spoons, sporks, and chopsticks are all prohibited single-use plastic cutlery. The list of forbidden silverware does not contain polystyrene or polyethylene cutlery, which is considered reusable if it retains its qualities after 100 dishwasher washes.

·        Food service ware: Food containers made of harmful plastic will be prohibited. Polystyrene foam, extruded polystyrene foam, polyvinyl chloride, black colored plastic from incomplete combustion, and oxo-degradable plastic are all problematic plastics. Certain plastic foodservice items, such as lidless stays, flexible packaging for ready-to-eat food, containers for frozen food that needs to be prepared, containers for raw meat or fish, cups for medication containers in hospitals or care facilities, and long-term storage containers are not covered by the regulation.

·        Ring carriers: Single-use plastic ring carriers known as "six-pack rings" that are used to hold or transport food and beverages are forbidden. The prohibition does not apply to hard beverage holders without deformable rings or bans surrounding the beverage container.

·        Stirrers of any kind made of plastic are not allowed.

·        Straws: The Regulations prohibited single-use plastic straws that include polystyrene or polyethylene or change their properties after being cleaned in a household dishwasher 100 times. Single-plastic flexible straws are not permitted under the regulations. Flexible single-use plastic straws are straws with a corrugated part that allows them to be and stay at varied angles.

Examples of single-use plastics in restaurants

Customer behavior is altering as a result of the Covid epidemic. People are ordering food online or ordering take-out more than ever before. Because of its simplicity and efficiency, this is contributing to an increase in the usage of single-use plastic packaging in restaurants. Restaurants require a diverse selection of food packaging, such as:

·        Plastic/foam food containers for dry food, salad, noodles, treats, …

·        Plastic cups and straws for drinks, coffee

·        Plastic soup cups for noodles, soup, wet food.

·        Plastic to cover food

·        Plastic bags to carry food

Exception to the single-use plastic ban:

There are some single-use plastics as below:

·        Flexible plastic straws: sold in packs of 20 minimum, customer request.

·        Reusable plastic check-out bags: usable at least 100 times when carrying up to 10kg over 53 meters.

·        Reusable plastic cutlery: able washed at least 100 times in household dishwasher.

Implementation timeline and key milestones

-        The ban of Check-out bags, cutlery, food containers, stir stick, straws*:

·       Manufacture and import for sale in Canada from December 20, 2022

·       Sale: from December 20, 2023

·       Manufacture, import and sale for export from December 20, 2025

-        The ban of ring carriers on:

·       Manufacture and import for sale in Canada from June 20, 2023

·       Sale from June 20, 2024

·       Manufacture, import and sale for export from December 20, 2025

-        Ban of flexible straws packaged with beverage containers on:

·       Sale from June 20, 2024

·       Manufacture, import and sale for export from December 20, 2025

(*) Single-use plastic flexibles straws are not packaged with beverage containers are excluded under certain conditions.

Montreal Plastic Ban

Differences between the Montreal Single-Use Plastics Ban and the Federal Ban:

Montreal will implement its own single-use plastic ban on March 28th, 2023. The following things are prohibited in Montreal:

·        Single-use shopping bags.

·        Cups and lids

·        Stir sticks and utensils

·        Plates and bowls

·        Containers and lids

·        Trays, except for meat and fish.

In comparison to the federal ban, Montreal's ban covers a broader range of single-use plastic and compostable plastic items.

The following table illustrates how biodegradable products approved in Montreal and Canada differ from one another:

Accepted in Canada:

·       PLA cutlery

·       Paper/Wood Cutlery

·       Paper/Wood Cutlery

·       Paper cups, plates, bowls

·       PLA containers, trays

·       Paper/Bagasse Containers, Trays

·       Paper straws

·       Paper shopping bags

·       Wood stir sticks

Accepted in Montreal:

·       Paper/Wood Cutlery

·       Paper cups, plates, bowls

·       Paper/Bagasse Containers, Trays

·       Paper straws

·       Paper shopping bags

·       Wood stir sticks

There are some restrictions that apply to PLA Flex straws in both Canada and Montreal.

The Montreal Single-use Plastic Items Ban Exceptions

The Montreal single-use plastic ban does not apply to food manufacturing, preparation, and packaging businesses that do not sell directly to consumers on-site. For examples:

·        Farms

·        Microgreen producers

·        Food packaging for grocery stores

·        Catering services

·        Prepared meal suppliers

·        Grocery stores

·        Restaurants that offer delivery only

·        Non-profit organizations involved in food distribution as part of their mission

Restaurants' Challenges with the Single-Use Plastic Ban and Solution

Restaurant Challenges

The prohibition on single-use plastic has several environmental benefits, but also presents significant obstacles for restaurants in terms of costing and strategy, as seen below:

·        Transition and adaptation: restaurants need to plan ahead, come up with alternatives, and train their staff to ensure a smooth transition.

·        Cost issue: Eco-packaging can sometimes be more expensive than single-use plastic solutions, putting financial hardship on eateries, particularly small restaurants.

·        Customer preferences and expectations: Some customers may prefer the ease of single-use plastic over other options. Customers' behavior might be affected by even little changes.

·        Consistent supply: Finding a supplier appears to be challenging, especially for small restaurants with a limited budget and a limited variety of products.

Initiatives to get around the prohibition on single-use plastic

To successfully navigate the single-use plastic ban, business and restaurant owners must take an active role in promoting change and developing solutions. Here are some projects your company might want to think about:

·        Conduct research and engage with industry partners: Restaurants can actively search for the finest alternatives that are appropriate for their size. Associations can provide significant insights by collaborating with trusted providers. As a supplier of eco-friendly packaging, KimEcopak gives restaurants a selection of premium goods with special advantages including discounts, scheduled delivery,...

·        Optimize packaging to reduce single-use plastic: Restaurants might rethink their menu and packaging requirements in order to reduce maximum plastic. encouraging customers to bring their own packaging or using compostable or biodegradable packaging. 

·        Cost management includes selecting cost-effective options, bulk purchasing and negotiating with partners, utilizing technology to manage expenses, and so on. This can aid eateries in improved cash flow management and optimization.

·        Educate and engage consumers on the benefits of environmentally friendly practices: Restaurants can promote green living in a variety of ways. For instance, using social media or other practical actions to inform, encourage, and communicate with customers.

Finally, Canada's single-use plastic ban is being enforced in order to decrease plastic waste and provide a brighter future. As this restriction goes into effect, it causes a number of modifications and issues for businesses, including restaurants. These companies must plan and strategy in order to properly adjust to the new circumstances.