Sidney's Single-Use Plastics Bylaw

On May 24, 2022, Council approved the Single Use Plastics Bylaw No. 2231, which came into effect January 1, 2023.

Have Questions?

If you have a question, review our FAQs. You can also contact Town staff at 250-656-4502 or email  engineeringservices@sidney.ca.

Overview

 This bylaw will prohibit the distribution and sale of the following single use plastic items:

• Plastic checkout bags
• Foam containers
• Plastic drinking straws
• Plastic stir sticks
• Plastic utensils

For the definitions of these items and further detail, please see the bylaw.

Plastic Bag Alternatives

Instead of single use plastic bags, the following may be provided:

• Paper checkout bags (must charge a fee of at least $0.25)
• Reusable checkout bags (must charge a fee of at least $2)
• A plastic bag has been returned to the business for the purpose of re-use

Exemptions

Some key exemptions include:

• Hospitals or licensed community care facilities
• Provision of plastic drinking straw to someone with a disability

Fines

Fines will range from $100 - $10,000 for every instance an offence occurs.

Downloadable Resources for Businesses

Posters and till cards are available for businesses to help share information about the bylaw with customers. Click on the images below to open a printable PDF version of each resource.

Till Card

Haven't used a till card before? These can be cut out and folded to stand up on a cash register or counter. They can also be cut out individually and taped up in a visible location.

Posters: