Reducing Waste, Respecting Needs: On Edmonton’s Single-Use Items Bylaw

It's festival season in Edmonton, which means in numerous events and activities there are lots of opportunities to shop and dine out. On top of that, deliveries are such a frequent part of our daily living these days.

On a personal level, before the bylaw came in effect I already subscribe to the practices that reduce single-plastic use. I pack my own food often, and even volunteered for Boomerang Bags YEG by sewing hundreds of reusable fabric bags that can be given to customers for free in Edmonton businesses if they forget to bring their own. I have a small fabric reusable bag all the time for short-notice shopping needs and have skipped the straw in drinks.

Since July 2023, Edmonton’s Single-Use Item Reduction Bylaw has been in effect. The goal? To cut down on waste by encouraging residents to bring reusable items instead of relying on plastic shopping bags, disposable cups, or single-use utensils. This is part of a broader effort to align our city’s day-to-day practices with sustainability and waste reduction goals.

Under this bylaw:

• Businesses can no longer distribute single-use plastic shopping bags.

• A minimum fee of 25 cents for paper bags and $2 for new reusable bags applies.

• These fees are kept by businesses, both to recover costs and nudge customers toward bringing their own bags.

• There are parameters to file for exemptions, for charities and certain types of businesses.

  
  

You can learn more about the bylaw here: City of Edmonton – Single-Use Items

What’s Happened Since?

City surveys show that many Edmontonians support the intent behind the bylaw. Roughly half of respondents agreed it's important for environmental protection. At the same time, a notable portion—especially those facing accessibility challenges—have raised concerns.

One year in, enforcement has been education-focused. No fines have been issued; instead, the City has sent a small number of educational letters to help businesses come into compliance. That’s a good sign: policies like this should aim to build good habits, not punish people.

As someone who is organized, able-bodied, and neurotypical, I haven’t had much trouble adapting to the bylaw in my own life. But I’m acutely aware that this isn’t the case for everyone. Good policy needs to account for those differences.

Who's Being Left Behind?

The shift to reusable options isn’t as easy for everyone. For instance:

• Seniors or disabled residents who rely on grocery delivery may struggle with heavy bins or loose packaging.

• People with sensory processing disorders or fine motor challenges may have difficulty using certain types of reusable containers or bags, paper straws of wood cutlery.

• Low-income households may feel the bag fees more acutely, especially when compounded by other rising costs.

If we're serious about building a sustainable city for everyone, we must ensure that our environmental policies are designed through an equity lens. That means being clear-eyed about who might be unintentionally excluded or burdened—and responding with practical accommodations.

What I’d Do as a City Councillor

I support keeping the Single-Use Item Reduction Bylaw in place. It's contributing to real progress in reducing waste and shifting public behaviour in a positive direction.

But I also believe it’s possible and necessary to:

• Introduce clear exemptions for those who need them, especially disabled residents.

• Ensure grocery delivery systems are accessible and user-friendly for people with different mobility or health needs.

• Increase transparency about the fees businesses collect from customers. Knowing how this money is used can help build trust and accountability.

• Champion positive initiatives to reduce barriers to promote reducing single-use item use, such as a expanding the Skip The Bag, Skip The Fee initiative, reusable bag exchange, or Boomerang Bags YEG.

These steps wouldn’t weaken the bylaw. They’d strengthen it by making sure the environmental progress we’re making doesn’t come at the cost of fairness or inclusion.

Want to Learn More?

The City of Edmonton maintains a public information page with details for both residents and businesses about what the bylaw covers and how to adapt:👉 Single-Use Item Reduction | City of Edmonton

Environmental action and accessibility aren’t competing priorities. We can, and must, do both. As your city councillor, I’ll work to make sure Edmonton’s policies continue moving us toward a greener, fairer, more affordable city for all.