Building on Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim’s pledge to axe the city’s 25 cent single-use cup fee, councillors have brought forward a motion to repeal the bylaw by June 1, 2023.
First introduced in January 2022, the bylaw requires residents pay $0.25 on single-use beverage containers.
In a motion before City Council, Councillor Rebecca Bligh is arguing that the policy hasn’t been effective in accomplishing its objectives, which included changing consumer behaviour and reducing landfill waste.
“Given the overwhelmingly clear, unambiguous evidence that has accumulated over the past year since the introduction of the City’s $0.25 single-use beverage cup fee, notably its failure to change consumer behaviour in the manner intended, it is incumbent upon Council to explore other policy options and pathways in order to achieve the desired and intended waste reduction outcomes,” wrote Bligh.
Funds accrued via the charge were kept by the businesses – which were encouraged by the city to reinvest into reusable alternatives.
Vancouver spends an estimated $2.5 million per year collecting and disposing of single-use plastics.
Upon passing, the bylaw will be repealed and new policy recommendations will be put in place to reduce waste.
Early this year, Sim called the bylaw unpragmatic and punitive, especially to the city’s most vulnerable.
“Everyone here in Vancouver loves the environment but we can make a distinction between things that are pragmatic and not,” said Sim.
“What we’ve heard from the business community and residents is the cup fee just ain’t working, that it’s punitive. So that’s why we’re committed to getting rid of the cup fee by this summer,” he continued.
“We’ll have a very open mind. If someone can convince us why it makes sense to still have the cup tax there, we’re all ears. But if people can’t provide that argument and why it is truly a benefit to the environment, we’re going to get rid of it.”
