Debate on abandoning the single-use plastics regulation: Edmonton's mayoral hopefuls provide their viewpoints
Edmonton's Single-Use Item Reduction Bylaw (20117), enacted on July 1, 2023, has become a hot topic in the city's upcoming mayoral elections. The bylaw, which introduced a 25-cent fee for paper bags and $2 for reusable ones, has been met with mixed reactions.
Under the bylaw, accessories such as utensils, straws, condiment packets, and napkins are only available by request or self-serve, but in drive-thrus customers must be asked if they want any of them. However, several mayoral candidates have expressed concerns about the bylaw's effectiveness and its impact on residents and small businesses.
Mayoral candidate Omar Mohammad stated that the bylaw does not work and that residents are paying for reusable bags that contain more plastic than the old ones. Mohammad also noted that many people reused plastic grocery store bags for small garbage bins and pet waste, and that the bylaw has led to people buying new plastic bags for these purposes.
Vanessa Denman, another mayoral candidate, plans to push for the repeal of the single-use plastics bylaw due to health risks associated with substitutes like paper straws. Denman also plans to cancel the paper bag fee as part of her affordability changes.
Rahim Jaffer, a mayoral candidate, believes the bag tax was a mistake and wants the city council to make life more affordable. Jaffer, along with Ronald Stewart Billingsley Jr., another candidate, plans to continue the single-use plastic bylaw with possible revisions, such as bringing back free paper bags in grocery stores.
The bylaw bans single-use plastic shopping bags (including compostable or biodegradable), Styrofoam plates, cups, and containers. However, a survey conducted by mayoral candidate Tim Cartmell found that 82% of residents believe the bylaw is not effective, with nearly as many wanting it removed. Cartmell also stated that the bylaw has not had a significant effect on the environment, and that it has primarily been a fee bonanza for private companies.
Michael Walters is one of the candidates who said they will change the Single-Use Item Reduction Bylaw. Walters has committed to reviewing the effectiveness of the bylaw, and if necessary, make changes to ensure it is beneficial for both the environment and the city's residents.
Long-time environmentalist Michael Kalmanovitch supports the Single-Use Item Reduction Bylaw and believes going back on it would be a waste. Kalmanovitch believes that Edmonton's efficient waste disposal system may influence attitudes towards waste reduction.
Mayoral candidate Andrew Knack has also committed to reviewing the effectiveness of the Single-Use Item Reduction Bylaw. Knack stated that if the bylaw isn't helping reduce waste, the city needs to take another look at it.
Paul Bakhmut, another mayoral candidate, called the Single-Use Item Reduction Bylaw red tape that frustrates residents and small businesses. Seven mayoral candidates said they would repeal the bylaw, five said they would review it, and as of publishing, two had not responded.
The mayoral elections in Edmonton are scheduled for later this year, and the Single-Use Item Reduction Bylaw is expected to be a key issue in the campaigns of many candidates.
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