Information for businesses, charities, and not-for-profits

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  Single-use cup by-law no longer in effect starting May 1, 2023

  Expand for details. 

  Important note Check back soon for updates to this page.

  On March 28, 2023, Council enacted a by-law that repeals all single-use beverage cup requirements from License By-law No. 4450 PDF file (493 KB) (section 15.8) and Ticket Offences By-law No. 9360. PDF file (231 KB)

  Effective May 1, 2023, businesses are no longer required to:

  • Charge a minimum $0.25 fee on single-use beverage cups
  • Report the number of single-use beverage cups when renewing their business licence
  • Accept customers’ clean reusable cups for drinks ordered in-store

  Read the Council decision

  What this means for businesses

  Food vendors are encouraged to remove the cup fee from their in-store, online, and mobile point of sale (POS) systems, menus and receipts starting May 1.

  Businesses are required to charge the cup fee up to May 1, 2023.

  We encourage businesses to continue adopting reusable options to reduce single-use cup waste, including: 

  • Accepting reusable cups for all hot and cold drinks (in-store, mobile apps, and drive-thrus) and offering discounts to customers who bring in their own cup, 
  • Serving drinks ordered to stay in reusable cups
  • Offering returnable cups that customers can borrow for drinks ordered to go

  What this means for residents

  We encourage residents to BYO Cup (‘Bring Your Own Cup’) to help reduce single-use waste. If you forget your cup for drinks to go, borrow one where businesses offer this option. If you have your drink to stay, ask for a reusable cup or mug. 

Complying with the by-laws

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  Food delivery services

  Food vendors located in Vancouver must comply with the single-use item by-laws, including sales through food delivery services. 

  All food delivery service providers should update their online, mobile, and telephone ordering platforms for food vendors located in Vancouver to ensure that customers:

  • Can request utensils
  • Can request flexible plastic straws wrapped individually in paper (if needed for accessibility)
  • Are charged for any beverage cups, paper shopping bags, or reusable shopping bags, and the fees are reflected on receipts
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  Reducing single-use items during COVID-19

  The health and safety of residents, businesses, and their staff are a priority for us and we continue to work to ensure all our single-use item by-laws align with current public health guidelines.

  For the latest COVID-19 health requirements and resources, visit:

  • Office of the Provincial Health Officer External website, opens in new tab
  • British Columbia Centre for Disease Control information for food businesses External website, opens in new tab
  • Vancouver Coastal Health environmental health and inspections External website, opens in new tab
  • Work Safe BC External website, opens in new tab
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  Suggested alternatives: what to choose instead

  We encourage you to source reusable alternatives or single-use packaging that can be: 

  • Recycled in the Recycle BC residential recycling program External website, opens in new tab
  • Composted in the green bin

  Review suggested alternatives:

  • English PDF file (898 KB)
  • 繁體中文 PDF file (1.4 MB)
  • 简体中文 PDF file (1.5 MB)
  • ਪੰਜਾਬੀ PDF file (1.7 MB)
  • Tagalog PDF file (1.8 B)
  • Tiếng Việt PDF file (2 MB)
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  Myth busting: compostable and degradable plastics

  It’s time for some myth busting. You might be surprised to find out what happens to these items after your customers are done with them. 

  Fact 1

  Plastic that is labeled or described as compostable, degradable (example: biodegradable, oxodegradable, photodegradable), bioplastic, or made from plants or other biological materials:

  • Is not accepted in the green bin
  • Contaminates existing composting and recycling streams
  • Is not approved for composting under provincial regulation
  • Is not designed to biodegrade if littered in the natural environment

  Fact 2

  Plastic that is labeled or described as compostable or degradable is also not accepted in Recycle BC’s residential recycling program External website, opens in new tab.

  Fact 3

  As contaminants, plastics that are labeled or described as compostable, degradable, or made from plants are most likely to be removed from composting and recycling streams and then disposed to landfill or incinerator.

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  Enforcing the rules

  Due to the extenuating circumstances of COVID-19, City staff are prioritizing outreach and education to ensure businesses have the support they need in order to comply with the single-use item by-laws.

  If a business is found to be out of compliance with the single-use item by-laws that are in effect, our initial actions will focus on education, outreach, and support to help them comply.

  Following these initial education actions, increasing levels of enforcement may be applied to address non-compliant operators. Enforcement may include issuing tickets, which carry a fine of $500 per offence. The provision for the $500 fine is in the Ticket Offences By-law No. 9360 PDF file (218 KB).

  Further prosecutions in provincial court could be subject to a maximum fine of $10,000 per offence. 

  Ongoing non-compliance may also result in business licence suspensions, or recommendations for business licence revocation.

  Information icon Charitable food services may continue to distribute single-use items with food or meals during COVID-19. Charitable food services are expected to begin working towards complying with the by-laws as soon as it is possible for them.

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  Federal and provincial regulation of single-use items

  Recognizing we can’t solve this problem on our own, we’ve encouraged the provincial and federal governments to introduce regulations to reduce single-use and plastic waste, and we’ve participated in engagements to develop them.

  Federal regulations

  In June 2022, the federal government published regulations External website, opens in new tab to ban six types of single-use plastic items:

  • Shopping bags
  • Straws
  • Cutlery
  • Stir sticks
  • Ring carriers
  • Foodservice ware made from or containing problematic plastics

  Under these federal regulations, the sale and distribution of these single-use plastic items will be banned:

  • On December 20, 2023, checkout bags, straws, cutlery, stir sticks, and foodservice ware made from problematic plastics (polystyrene foam, polyvinyl chloride, carbon black, or an oxo-degradable plastic) 
  • On June 20, 2024, ring carriers and flexible straws packaged with beverage containers

  Provincial regulations

  The provincial government is also proposing to regulate single-use and plastic waste PDF file (1.3 MB). These will complement the federal regulations and cover a broader range of items and materials, including:

  • A ban on plastic shopping bags, and minimum fees of $0.25 and $2 on paper and reusable shopping bags in 2023
  • By-request requirements for all types of single-use straws, cutlery, stir sticks, condiment sachets, napkins, cold cup lids, cup sleeves, and food or beverage trays in 2023
  • A ban on problematic plastic foodservice packaging such as containers, bowls, plates, trays, cartons, film wrap, and cups made from polystyrene foam, PVC, or compostable plastic in 2024
  • A ban on all packaging made from oxo-degradable plastic, including oxo-degradable bin liners, dog waste bags, and clothing packaging in 2024

  We’re considering how these federal and provincial regulations may affect the City’s single-use item by-laws, and City Council may decide to change them. Until then, Vancouver business licence holders are required to comply with our single-use item regulations in Licence By-law No. 4450 (sections 15.5 to 15.9).