Recently, the mayor of Montreal, Canada’s second largest city, Valerie Plante announced a plan to ban the use of single-use plastics.
According to this plan, from August 23, 2022, retail stores will no longer allow the use of disposable plastic shopping bags. In March 2023, several other plastic products used in retail and restaurants will also be a thing of the past.
This means that, for example, plates, containers and trays made of polystyrene will be banned, as will plastic cups, utensils, straws and stirring rods.
These are all part of the city of Montreal's plan to achieve zero waste by 2030.
Montreal is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the St. Lawrence River in Canada. It is the second largest city in Canada and the largest city in Quebec. Once the largest city in Canada before the 1970s, it was a well-known industrial, commercial and financial center in Canada. The city is a typical English-French bilingual city.
The announcement was made a few months before the municipal elections on November 4, when the Mayor of Plante will compete with three former mayors. Mayor Plante touted the plan as the most ambitious single-use plastic ban in North America.
"Montreal decided not to wait for other levels of government," said Mayor Plante. "We have seen what is being done elsewhere, but we think our plan is the best."
According to the city government, if the use of plastics does not decrease significantly, the landfill in Terrebonne, Quebec—serving 82 cities in the Montreal metropolitan community—will fill up in 2029.
"So what should we do?" Plante said. "Well, one of the solutions, the solution we support in Montreal is to reduce from the source."
However, there are a few exceptions to the regulations, including polystyrene trays used to pack meat and fish, disposable plastic products used by non-profit organizations that distribute food, and agencies that only provide delivery services.
With the regulations coming into effect in 12 and 18 months respectively, Plante said that companies will have time to make adjustments and entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to help fill the gap left by plastic products.
