About Single-Use Items Bylaw

Richmond Takes Lead to Ban Single-Use Plastics
We all know it’s better to avoid single-use items – it's the right thing to do for our community and the environment. To help reduce waste and ocean pollution on a more global scale, Richmond City Council has passed the first three readings of a proposed new bylaw, Single-Use Plastic and Other Items Bylaw No.10000, to ban single-use plastics such as:

• plastic checkout bags; 
• plastic straws; and 
• foam food service ware such as foam plates, clamshell containers, bowls and cups.

The bylaw has been sent to the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change for provincial approval. There is no indication at this time when that approval will be granted. 

While this provincial review is underway, the City will be working with businesses to determine the best way to support the transition to better alternatives. 



​Overview of Proposed Bylaw 10000
​​Proposed Single-use & Other Items Bylaw 10000
​Implementation Support​
Frequently Asked Questions

Why we need to reduce single-use plastic and other items

Here’s what we all know…

• Single-use items create unnecessary waste because they are barely used once before being tossed out.
• These items are lightweight in nature, which can result in them being blown into public spaces, as well as polluting oceans, lakes, rivers and streams.
• Huge amounts of plastic are used annually - 3.84 million tonnes each year in Canada alone, with only 11-12% actually collected for recycling.
• There are better alternatives – some are compostable or recyclable, others can be re-used multiple times.

Single-use is wasteful and not sustainable

• It’s time to shift to a circular economy, where the materials we use stay in circulation to be used, re-used and recycled multiple times into new products. 
• This shift from single-use to a circular economy is more sustainable because it reduces reliance on new raw materials and reduces waste going to landfills.
• Recycling is important, but reducing waste is essential.
• Low-grade plastic used in single-use items  cannot be recycled more than a couple times – at most – before they end up in the landfill.

 Reports are provided in Adobe Acrobat pdf format.

• News Release - Richmond takes lead to ban single-use plastics