(Montreal) A Montreal municipal statute banning the use of single-use plastic items goes into effect Tuesday. Glasses, stirrers, straws and utensils are among the prohibited items.
Posted at 6:48 am
The ban also applies to products made of Styrofoam or compostable plastic, whether eaten in restaurants or to take away, with the exception of raw meat and fish bowls.
The statute was approved 18 months ago and applies to the 19 boroughs of the city of Montreal. Officials estimate about 8,400 businesses will be affected.
There are some exceptions, including for non-profit groups such as charities or organizations that deliver meals to vulnerable people.
Inspectors can issue a warning on the first visit, but traders face fines ranging from $400 to $4,000 from the second violation.
Marie-Andrée Mauger, City Council member responsible for the green transition, warns that the city will show some leniency when it comes to allowing merchants to sell their old stock.
Mauger told reporters last week that the city’s only landfill would reach capacity in 2029, so there’s no choice but to reduce waste at source.
“We have to respect the boundaries of ecosystems,” Ms. Mauger said. If everyone in Montreal lived like us, it would take four planets to support the rate at which we are consuming resources. »