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Single-Use Item Regulations

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Single-use item reduction is a priority across Canada, and governments are taking action. Several factors are driving urgency around reducing single-use items:

  • Cost taxpayers millions annually to collect from public spaces,
  • Are prevalent as litter, such as in marine and streetscape environments, and
  • Are not commonly recycled or reused.

On this webpage, you will find information about regulations that impact Metro Vancouver residents and businesses, and resources to help you reduce single-use items.

Single-use item​​ regulations​

Three main regulatory tools are used for single-use item prevention:​​​

  • Ban – prohibition on the sale or distribution of an item
  • Fees – requiring fees (retained by retailers) on disposable items to encourage the use of reusable items
  • By-request – only providing items to customers when a customer asks for, or agrees to receive, them. This includes self-service stations and requests made or accepted electronically (e.g., online by checking a box for the item).

Summary of federal and provincial regulations

A summary of federal and provincial single-use item regulations is below.​

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​Additional details and guidance can be found on the following web pages:​​​​​

​Municipal regulations

In Metro Vancouver, the cities of Delta, Port Moody, Richmond, Surrey, and Vancouver have implemented single-use item reduction bylaws (as of March 2023). To see which municipalities in BC have approved bylaws, review Municipal bylaws for single-use plastics.

As a regional district, Metro Vancouver does not have authority to regulate the sale or distribution of single-use items. The Metro Vancouver Board approved a harmonized approach for municipal single-use item reduction bylaws in November 2021. Metro Vancouver and member jurisdictions continue to work on programs and policies to reduce single-use and move toward reuse systems.

Learn more about single-use item reduction in Metro Vancouver on the Single-use items background page.

To find out more about single-use item reduction in your municipality visit Single-use items in my municipality.

Tips and resources

While the regulations themselves are detailed, there are a few simple actions residents and businesses can take to ensure they are compliant.

Residents

The easiest way to comply with single-use item regulations is to use reusable alternatives.

​Single-Use Material/ItemAlternative
Shopping or checkout bags
  • Bring your own reusable bag
Foodservice accessories, like utensils, straws, and stir sticks
  • Bring your own reusable utensils and straws
  • Only ask for an item if you need it
Foodservice packaging, like containers, bowls, cartons, and cups
Problematic materials, like plastics labelled “biodegradable” or “compostable”
  • Use a reusable alternative
  • Choose containers made of materials that you are sure can be recycled, like glass or conventional plastic

Metro Vancouver’s “What’s Your Superhabit?” campaign offers tips to use resuables at home, at work, and on-the-go.

Get Tips

Businesses

The proposed waste prevention regulations are using a phased approach to provide businesses time to transition.

Purchasing

The following product and purchasing guidelines are intended to help Metro Vancouver businesses choose cups, containers, and utensils that follow single-use item regulations.

 Sustainable Foodservice Purchasing Guide​​

The Recycling Council of British Columbia (RCBC) can provide guidance about what materials comply with regulations and sustainable food packaging alternatives.

RCBC FAQs
604-RECYCLE
1-800-667-4321
hotline@rcbc.ca

Compliance

For clarification about the regulations and compliance, please contact the relevant regulatory body.

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