Charlottetown presses ban on Styrofoam food containers from events, street vendors

The City of Charlottetown passed a motion Monday night to ensure your next order of fries at a local festivalcomes in a paper bag or on a plate, and not in a Styrofoam clamshell.

The ban on Styrofoam has been in place for events and food trucks since 2015, but was added this week to its Sustainable Events Manual to raise awareness of it among event organizers. Vendors must ensure disposable materials, including cutlery, are compostable or recyclable.

"We have an opportunity to lead by example when it comes to waste reduction and showing the public that we are serious about sustainability," said events management chair Coun. Kevin Ramsay, in a news release.

The Sustainable Events Manual outlines required and recommended practices for special events and festivals in the city.

Itincludes information about resources available from the city, such as portable bike racks, waste sorting stations, and mobile water bottle refill stations.

The city noted events have the potential to produce a large amount of waste, and these policies are designed to minimize that.

The rules do not apply to restaurants, because the city does not have the authority to regulate them.

The city is not ruling out the possibility of extending the ban beyond mobile food vendors, and is currently researching how other municipalities in North America have approached Styrofoam bans.

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