City of Vancouver changes disposable cup fee, allows exemptions in some cases

Vancouver City Council has tweaked its by-law mandating a 25-cent charge for single-use cups.

Council voted Tuesday to modify the cup by-law by removing the fee from beverages "for which the customer or recipient is not charged any monetary value" meals and drinks received through a voucher, and for drinks earned through a vendor's loyalty or points program.

"[If] we don't vote for this [revision], we're voting to charge people who get a free cup of water at a Tim Hortons 25 cents," said Coun. Jean Swanson ahead of the vote.

At the start of the year, Vancouver obligated businesses that sell drinks in disposable cups, like fast food restaurants, charge the fee. It was intended to be a disincentive for creating waste and the city does not collect the proceeds as a tax.

But concerns were raised about how the fee was impacting people with low incomes, including people who are homeless.

The Vancouver Odd Fellows, which runs a warming shelter in the West End, encountered problems when they distributed McDonald's meal vouchers to unhoused people staying there.

"So when they left our place, they not only got a meal, but they got to stay out of the cold for a little while longer," said volunteer Walter Wells.

In January, people using the free meal vouchers found those weren't enough: they also needed to have 25 cents to pay the fee.

"That was an unintended consequence," said Wells. "We were trying to give them a free meal. So it was really unfortunate."

Fortunately for the people who used the Odd Fellows-distributed vouchers, the local McDonald's franchise owner agreed to absorb the fee on the charity vouchers.

Wells is glad that the city has come up with a broader solution.

"We're really grateful for it. It'll be a real help to the homeless," he said. "It makes it much easier for them to get the food that we offer them."

Council needed two tries to pass the change at Tuesday's meeting.

The first vote to adopt the change was a tie and didn't pass.

Coun. Melissa De Genova moved for a reconsideration, which did pass, and then on a second vote on the change, it passed with seven in favour and four opposed.

De Genova voted against the change both times, however.

"To be very clear, I support free single-use beverage cups for vulnerable and marginalized people but I don't think [the revision] goes far enough," she said on Wednesday.

"The 25-cent charge, there is nothing that says that this fee has to go towardclimate action, nor does it reduce paper cups. It just costs Vancouver more money."

She said she will bring forward further changes to the cup by-law which she says will better address environmental concerns.

The city estimates about 82 million single-use cups were thrown out in Vancouver in 2018.