"You need napkins when it's wing night": Premier Smith is no fan of single-use item bylaws

Premier Danielle Smith says she is not on board with Alberta’s two largest cities passing bylaws banning single-use items and has asked her minister of municipal affairs to see if they overstepped.

While speaking at a press conference in Edmonton, Smith was asked by a reporter if she thought the issue was a reasonable policy area for municipalities to be involved in and to be able to ban plastic draws and bags.

“I can tell you we have had to step in when we think that municipalities are going a step too far on certain issues, and I’ve asked my minister if he thinks that is one of those areas,” Smith said.

“I can tell you I’ve heard there was near mutiny on wing night in some restaurants because you have to ask whether or not people want napkins; I mean, some things are just so obvious that you need napkins when it’s wing night, so I think there’s a little bit of ideology getting ahead of common sense here,” she added.

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Earlier this week, a bylaw on single-use items came into effect in Calgary, while Edmonton’s ban kicked in last July.

Smith said that it’s “really just putting ideology ahead of commons sense,” adding that she is not supportive of the decision in both Calgary and Edmonton.

This morning I am joined by Minister of Jobs, Economy and Trade, Matt Jones, Minister of Health, Adriana LaGrange, and President of Shoppers Drug Mart, Jeff Leger, to announce a new health investment in Alberta. https://t.co/gCBijXm80g

— Danielle Smith (@ABDanielleSmith) January 25, 2024

“I would say in the meantime, call your councillor and call your mayor and tell them what you think of these because I can tell you it’s not happening in every municipality; it just seems like it’s happening in Calgary and Edmonton,” Smith remarked.

Canada began implementing its single-use plastics ban in December 2022, with the phase-out of plastic checkout bags, cutlery, stir sticks, and straws (with some medical and accessibility exceptions).

Last November, the Federal Court sided with several large plastic companies after it launched a lawsuit against the Canadian government’s decision to list certain plastics — such as straws — as toxic under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA).