Cups

About the by-law

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  By-law overview

  Effective Jan 1, 2021: 

  • A minimum fee of $0.25 must be charged on each single-use beverage cup distributed. 
  • Cup fees must be displayed on menu boards, menus, and internet-based ordering platforms.
  • Cup fees must be shown as a separate line item on any receipts provided to customers by using wording such as “Cup fee”. 
  • Food vendors must tell customers the amount of the cup fee for any orders placed over the phone.
  • Reporting requirement: Food vendors must report to the City the number of single-use cups distributed in the past 12 months at every location with a business license.

  Important information The reporting requirement does not apply to locations with a business licence that participate in a reusable cup share program. This is intended to encourage food vendors to participate in reusable cup share programs.

  How reusable cup share works

  Reusable cup share program means customers:

  1. Are given the choice of receiving their drink in a reusable cup; 
  2. May leave the business premises with the reusable cup, and;
  3. May return the reusable cup to the business, or a drop-off location, at a later time.

  Review the by-law

  • By-law 12622 (amends By-law 4450 regarding single-use cups) PDF file (20 KB)
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  Who the by-law applies to

  All food vendors with a Vancouver business licence must comply with the cup by-law. Food vendors are businesses, charities, and not-for-profits that:

  • Sell prepared food (food meant to be eaten without further cooking), or;
  • Provide food for free or at low cost (some exemptions apply)

  This includes, but is not limited to:

  • Arenas
  • Bakeries
  • Bars, lounges
  • Bed and breakfasts
  • Breweries
  • Cafés and tea shops
  • Caterers
  • Community centres
  • Concessions
  • Convenience stores
  • Delis
  • Drugstores
  • Food courts
  • Delivery services (that sell food)
  • Food manufacturers
  • Food retailers
  • Food trucks
  • Food vendors at festivals and events
  • Food wholesalers
  • Grocery stores
  • Halls
  • Limited service food establishments
  • Liquor establishments
  • Private schools
  • Market outlets
  • Not-for-profit corporations
  • Registered charities
  • Restaurants
  • Street food vendors
  • Theatres
  • Venues
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  Exemptions

  Hospitals and community care facilities

  The by-law does not apply to single-use cups used for food service to patients in hospitals and community care facilities.

  Important information The by-law does apply to food vendors with a Vancouver business license whose premises are located in hospitals or community care facilities (for example: cafeterias, cafes) that serve prepared food to customers.

  Charitable food services

  Registered charities and not-for-profit corporations are not required to charge fees on single-use cups used to provide beverages for free or at low-cost, or report the number of cups used for this purpose.

  Important information Organizations must be incorporated and in good standing under the Society Act, or registered as a charitable organization under the federal Income Tax Act to qualify for the charitable food services exemption.

  Food served in cups

  The cup fee and reporting requirement do not apply to single-use cups used to serve prepared food, such as soup, pudding, frozen desserts, etc.

  Selling packages of single-use cups in stores

  Retailers are still permitted to sell packages of at least 6 single-use beverage cups sold for personal use.

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  Cup fees and revenue

  Help your customers avoid fees and reduce waste by:

  • Providing reusable cups for drinks to stay
  • Participating in a reusable cup-share program
  • Encouraging customers to bring their own cup

  Discounts can still be offered to reward customers for choosing reusable cups.

  Food vendors will keep the cup fees and revenue from the cup fees is not remitted to the City.

  Food vendors will determine how the cup fees will be used and will be encouraged to:

  • Invest in reusable alternatives for single-use items, such as reusable cups for drinks to stay, commercial dishwashers, and reusable cup-share programs
  • Cover the cost of complying with the by-law, example: software updates, training staff
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  Enforcing the rules

  All businesses, charities, and not-for-profits that hold a Vancouver business license must comply with the by-laws. There is no grace period after the by-law takes effect.

  If your business, charity, or not-for-profit is found to be out of compliance with the by-law, there are several actions the City may take:

  1. Initial actions will focus on education, outreach, and support to help you comply with the by-law requirements.
  2. Following these initial actions, increasing levels of enforcement will be used to address non-compliant operators. Non-compliant business license holders may be fined $500 per offence.
  3. Business license holders with repeat offences may be subject to prosecution and face provincial court issued fines of up to $10,000 per offence.