Cups

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  Federal and provincial single-use item regulations begin Dec 20, 2023

  Expand for details.

  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

  Review the Government of Canada’s regulations to ban single-use plastics External website, opens in new tab

  Provincial regulations

  Review the Province of BC's regulations on plastics and single-use items External website, opens in new tab

  Questions?

  • For help with federal regulations, email PlastiquesUU-SUPlastics@ec.gc.ca
  • For help with provincial regulations, email Plastics@gov.bc.ca

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  What this means for our single-use item regulations

  The upcoming federal and provincial regulations align closely with our regulations for single-use foam cups and containers, straws, utensils, and shopping bags.

  We’re considering how these upcoming regulations may affect our 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 15.7 and 15.9).

Additional information

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  Reusable cup-share or cup borrowing programs

  What is a reusable cup-share program?

  A reusable cup-share program (or cup-borrowing or returnable cup program) lets customers borrow a reusable cup from the store and take their drink to go, then return it to the store or another drop-off location. The cup and lid are cleaned and sanitized before they are used for other customers. Depending on the program, consumers typically pay a small deposit that is refunded when they return the cup or buy a monthly subscription. 

  Cup-share is a zero-waste solution that makes reusable cups as convenient as single-use cups for drinks to go. It lets people skip the $0.25 cup fee and choose reusable if they forget their own cup, or if they don’t want to carry their cup around. It’s like car-share or bike-share, but for cups.

  Do any Vancouver businesses have a reusable cup-share program?  

  Yes. Over 120 business locations in Vancouver, including independent restaurants and local and multi-national chains, now offer cup-share, either with their own branded programs or through a local cup-share service provider PDF file (197 KB).

  A new cup-borrowing pilot by Return-It External website, opens in new tab and major chains is also underway in Vancouver. Dedicated bins for collecting borrowed reusable cups have been placed in selected commercial and on-street locations in Vancouver. Consumers can return their branded reusable cup in a designated bin to be collected, washed, sanitized and returned to participating stores. 

  Since the cup by-law came into effect on January 1, 2022, we have encouraged businesses to invest their revenue from the cup fee in reusable alternatives and infrastructure like cup-share programs.  

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  Accepting reusable cups during COVID-19

  We encourage businesses to continue to accept customers’ reusable cups for all hot and cold drinks. 

  Important note COVID-19: Under current BC Centre for Disease Control External website, opens in new tab and Vancouver Coastal Health External website, opens in new tab guidelines, vendors can provide reusable cups and accept customers’ reusable cups during the COVID-19 pandemic.

  We have worked with Vancouver Coastal Health to ensure “contactless cup” procedures can be used to serve drinks in customers’ reusable cups.

  Tell your staff and customers about it with our contactless cups poster in the single-use item by-law toolkit.

  Contactless cup methods

  Important note These procedures replace the Contactless Cup Methods published in the Single-Use Item By-law Guide (July 2021).

  Used by cafes and restaurants around the world, these methods describe safe procedures for accepting and filling customers’ reusable cups during COVID-19, and are allowed by Vancouver Coastal Health.
   

  Method 1 Steps

  1. Customer takes off the lid and places their clean reusable cup on a designated tray or another container provided by staff.
  2. Staff moves the tray or container to where the drink will be prepared without making contact with the customer’s cup. 
  3. Staff pours the prepared drink into the customer’s reusable cup without making contact.   
  4. Staff brings the tray (or container) with the customer’s cup to a countertop where the customer can then take it away. 
  5. Staff wash and sanitize trays and containers frequently and when contamination of equipment has occurred. Follow procedures outlined in your food safety and sanitation plan.

  Method 2 Steps

  1. Staff prepare the drink in a small jug or reusable cup used for pouring.
  2. Without touching the customer’s cup, staff pours the prepared drink into the customer’s reusable cup.
  3. Staff wash and sanitize the jug or cup used for pouring frequently and when contamination of equipment has occurred. Follow procedures outlined in your food safety and sanitation plan.

  Cleaning guidelines for customers' reusable cup

  To protect the safety of residents, businesses, and their staff, encourage your customers to follow these cleaning guidelines, approved by Vancouver Coastal Health, for customers’ own reusable cups:

  • Most insulated travel mugs are not dishwasher safe.
  • Hand wash your travel mug and lid with warm soapy water after each use.
  • Rinse under running water. Dry completely.
  • Make sure there is no leftover drink residue in your cup or on your lid. Businesses are not required to handle dirty cups or clean yours for you.
  • Replace chipped, cracked, or otherwise damaged travel mugs.
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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 link icon
  • Composted in the City Green Bin organics program External link icon

  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 MB)
  • 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.