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Edmonton bylaw banning styrofoam and single use cups from restaurants in effect July 1

Published

2 years ago

3 minute read

Single-use item bylaw to support waste reduction in effect July 1
Edmonton’s single-use item reduction bylaw takes effect on July 1, starting businesses—and city residents—on a road to less waste and litter.
“Looking locally, you can already find countless examples of businesses who are reducing single-use items well before the bylaw is in place,” said Mayor Amarjeet Sohi. “We’re excited to support the efforts of these leaders, and make an even greater environmental impact.”
The bylaw applies to most organizations that are required to hold a business licence or civic event permit issued by the City of Edmonton. It regulates four types of single-use items that can easily be replaced with reusable options or avoided altogether:
  • Shopping bags: Single-use plastic shopping bags (including biodegradable and compostable plastic shopping bags) can no longer be distributed, and businesses must charge at least 15 cents for a paper shopping bag and at least $1 for a new reusable shopping bag.
  • Foam (“Styrofoam”) plates, cups and containers: These items can no longer be used.
  • Single-use cups: Restaurants must serve dine-in drink orders in reusable cups and have a written policy for accepting reusable customer cups.
  • Accessories (like utensils, straws, pre-packaged condiments and napkins): These items will only be available by request or self-serve.
“The bylaw builds on the efforts many businesses and residents are already making to reduce waste,” said Denis Jubinville, Branch Manager, Waste Services. “All these positive choices add up and contribute to cleaner parks and public spaces.”
An estimated 450 million single-use items are thrown in the garbage each year in Edmonton. These items make up about 10,000 tonnes of garbage—the weight of more than 700 city buses. Reducing single-use items means less litter and less waste in the landfill. It also means fewer emissions will be required to produce, ship and dispose of these items.
“The bylaw will help encourage businesses and customers to stop and consider if the item is actually necessary,” said Jubinville. “We have worked hard to take a balanced approach that allows single-use items like cups and bags to be available for those who need them.”
The bylaw complements the federal restrictions on certain types of single-use plastics, including plastic shopping bags and Styrofoam, both of which will be banned this year. While the federal regulations specifically address plastic items, the City’s bylaw focuses on waste reduction, rather than simply replacing plastics with other types of materials.
More information and support tools are available at edmonton.ca/SingleUse. City Waste Education Outreach staff will also be visiting many businesses to answer questions and help them adapt to the bylaw.
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Alberta

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith Media Roundtable from Washington

Published on January 21, 2025

By

From the YouTube channel of Alberta Premier Danielle Smith

Members of the media join Premier Danielle Smith for a round table on January 21, 2025.

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Alberta

Is There Any Canadian Province More Proud of their Premier Today…

Published on January 21, 2025

By

Yakk Stack  By Sheldon Yakiwchuk

 

Prior to Trumps inauguration event and announcement was made that Trump would not be imposing the 25% tariffs…

Which means, Canada seriously dodged a bullet here.

And while the Liberals will most likely frame this as, their success in showing, Bad Orange Man, that they’re tough and ready to burn down what is left of our economy, throwing Alberta under the bus, first…through a nuclear option…

Premier Smith rode this challenge out like the true champion we knew that she would be.

It’s hard to say if this was a legality matter in the grander scheme…or if the 25% tariffs would have truly been as big of an impact on the US…

One thing is clear, however…

Smith was ready to go to the tables with the Trump administration and opt for diplomacy over threats…which should be what we expect from our leaders.

And should these 25% tariffs have gone through…I’m more than sure a Plan B would have been brought out in civil conversations, over screeching rhetoric.

“She’s treasonous”, they screeched.

“She’s supporting her friends in Oil and Gas”, they relent.

“She should put Canada first”, they echo…

And let’s just address these…

Is Walmart beholden to Campbells soup? Fruit of the Loom? Kraft?

Or does Walmart sell products that helps keep their doors open?

Walmart is not beholden to any product…just like Premier Smith isn’t. We have 26% of our GDP – the largest portion – owed to Alberta O&G, something that we have a limited trade partner with, due to the Liberal – Anti-Alberta/Anti-O&G/Anti-Pipeline attitude that wants to spend us further in debt with unreliable and expensive “Renewables”.

What does Alberta get from renewables?

A higher cost for energy, in an affordability crisis, created by the same people who continue to push them…sounds like a terrible deal, for Albertans, and something a true leader would Not Favor.

When Walmart sits down to hash out a deal with Heinz, are they committing treason because they haven’t shown their allegiance to their own, ‘Great Value’ brand Ketchup?

No…other provinces have their own industries and resources, which they are free to continue developing independent of the federal government, as is suitable and supportive of their own economies…Alberta isn’t competing with them, nor Canada as a whole.

Alberta through industry and resource, actually supports Canada through a grand imbalance on “Equalization Payments”…

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As do we through paying 50% more into the Canada Pension Plan, than we actually get out of the Canada Pension Plan…to the tune of a $334 Billion Dollars.

And as for this “Team Canada”, horseshit…

The title Premier of Alberta, should hold some clues as to who Premier Smith should be advocating for…as she is the Premier of Alberta and Not the Prime Minister, nor leader in the Liberal Party that has created this fiasco, to begin with.

Rail, as they may…other provinces can’t cast a vote in her support, either way…

None of the other provinces, through Members of Parliament, nor through Premiers, came to support Alberta and our economy through a number of Federal Bills that railed on our provincial resources…

Worse yet…these hypocrites cash cheques from our province, while telling us how to diversify our economy…to which I’d state one thing unequivocally…

If we wanted to be a Have Not Province…like you are…we’ll come and ask you for your advice.

Until then…

I’ll hold my Alberta Flag Higher than my Canadian…

And be proud today, of having the only Premier in the country of Canada, worthy of any praise today!

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