Single-use Items - Business Engagement Program

In collaboration with York Region, the Town of Newmarket and the City of Richmond Hill are working together to implement a business engagement program that not only recognizes businesses that have reduced or eliminated single-use items, but also supports businesses that wish to reduce their use of single-use items and helps them prepare for the upcoming federal ban on several single-use plastic items.

What are single-use items?

Single-use items are products and packaging that:

• Are often made of or contain plastic material;
• Are intended to be used once before being disposed of; and
• Include plastic straws and cutlery, plastic shopping bags, hot and cold take-out cups, and foam take-out containers.

These items are generally difficult to recycle and can often be avoided or replaced with reusable or recyclable alternatives.

Why is reducing single-use items important?

Every year, Canadians throw away more than 3 million tonnes of plastic waste. About one-third of the plastics used in Canada are for single-use products and packaging. Most of these items are not recyclable or biodegradable and often end up as litter in the community or contamination in municipal blue box programs.

Because of the environmental impacts, York Region residents and local Councils have expressed that reducing single-use items in the community is a priority. A York Region survey completed by residents in 2021 indicated that:

• 87% would like businesses to ask first before giving them a single-use item
• 78% would choose to shop at stores that were actively trying to reduce single-use items
• 76% would use a service that helped them locate businesses reducing their use of single-use items

Business Survey Results:

In spring 2022, a business survey was launched by York Region and over 70 businesses participated. Highlights from the survey can be viewed in the Single-use Items Business Survey Summary. Results from the survey are being used to help shape the program and will ensure that the experiences of business owners and managers are informing our approach.