The process to repeal Calgary's single-use items bylaw has kicked off: Here's what's next
The debate goes on for Calgary’s single-use items bylaw.
The policy that was implemented on January 16 has caused controversy and, according to a number of city councillors, has also sparked a public outcry from Calgarians.
On Tuesday, Calgary City Council voted narrowly in favour of a motion that ultimately puts the policy back into debate, with both a public hearing and an information campaign in the works over the coming months.
The bylaw itself, however, will still be in effect until that hearing is held.
Confusion and controversy
The City of Calgary’s recently implemented single-use items bylaw is an attempt to reduce waste.
It was put in place after the federal government announced it would ban some single-use plastic items in an effort to achieve zero plastic waste by 2030. That was back in June 2022.
More than a year later, in November 2023, the federal court issued a ruling overturning the federal government’s ministerial order designating all plastic-manufactured items as “toxic substances” under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA).
The City of Calgary issued a list on its website comparing its policy with the federal government’s.
There still seemed to be more questions than answers, however, and the City later posted a 12-part thread on X in an attempt to quell the concerns of Calgarians.
We understand there has been some confusion and misinterpretation of the Single-Use Items Bylaw and want to help Calgarians understand what the bylaw actually entails. Here are some myth-busting facts:
1/12 (thread)https://t.co/9clDzdg7z5
— City of Calgary (@cityofcalgary) January 27, 2024
Repeal or amend?
After receiving an onslaught of emails and near-constant communication from Calgarians about the bylaw, a number of councillors started to bring considerations for amendments, as well as an attempt to repeal it as a whole.
“We need to make it accessible and affordable for Calgarians to choose to be waste-conscious and charging them is not in our environment today,” said Ward One Councillor Sonya Sharp, who supported the motion to repeal the bylaw.
“I know the intentions of this bylaw are good, but I’m a very strong believer that we will not meet our goals and we will not get Calgarians on board.”
The motion to repeal was brought by Ward Two Councillor Jennifer Wyness, who spoke against the bylaw on X.
Wyness reshared a statement that she initially made when the policy was being voted on last year.
She also posted the eventually successful motion she introduced on Tuesday on the social media platform.
That motion passed eight to seven, with some who voted against it bringing up concerns about the redundancy of scrapping the policy and the lack of clarity.
“What it is we’re generally having this conversation about is McDonald’s, drive-thru McDonald’s,” said Ward Eight Councillor Courtney Walcott.
“I think that if we’re having an honest conversation about this… we realize that most of what’s in front of us we already have.”
The bylaw will be in place until the public hearing is held.
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