BC Packaging Regulations Every Restaurant Owner Should Know
Published June 14, 2026 · By True Earth Packaging Team · 12 min read
If you run a restaurant, café, food truck, or catering business in Metro Vancouver, single-use packaging regulations affect your operation directly. The region's single-use item bylaw — adopted progressively since 2021 and now in full effect across member municipalities — restricts several categories of conventional plastic packaging that were standard issue for food service businesses just a few years ago.
Yet plenty of BC operators are still uncertain about exactly what's banned, what's still permitted, and which alternative products actually meet the requirements. This guide answers those questions directly, with a category-by-category breakdown and practical alternatives for each restricted item.
Disclaimer: This guide summarizes the Metro Vancouver Single-Use Item Reduction Bylaw as it applies to food service businesses. Bylaw details and member municipality adoption timelines can change. Always verify current requirements with your local municipality or Metro Vancouver directly.
What Is Metro Vancouver's Single-Use Item Bylaw?
Metro Vancouver's Regional Bylaw No. 1342 (Single-Use Item Reduction) was developed in response to the staggering volume of single-use plastic waste flowing through the region's waste stream. The bylaw applies to food service establishments across Metro Vancouver's member municipalities — including Vancouver, Burnaby, Richmond, Surrey, Coquitlam, Delta, New Westminster, North Vancouver, West Vancouver, and others.
At a high level, the bylaw does two things:
- Restricts the distribution of certain single-use plastic items — these cannot be offered proactively to customers, though in some cases a customer can request one.
- Permits alternatives — reusable items are always allowed; approved single-use alternatives (paper, wood, compostable, recyclable) are permitted depending on the category.
What Is Restricted: Category by Category
Plastic Straws
Restriction: Single-use plastic straws cannot be proactively distributed. They may only be provided on request for accessibility reasons.
Compliant alternatives: Paper straws, compostable PLA straws, and reusable straws (silicone or metal). For bubble tea and thick beverages, wide-diameter paper straws are available.
Plastic Cutlery
Restriction: Single-use plastic forks, knives, spoons, and sporks cannot be proactively distributed. They may only be provided on request.
Compliant alternatives: CPLA (crystallized PLA), birchwood, bamboo, or reusable metal. CPLA handles hot foods and liquids better than standard PLA, which softens above 60°C. Birchwood and bamboo are lower-cost options suitable for most takeout applications.
Plastic Stir Sticks & Cocktail Picks
Restriction: Single-use plastic stir sticks and cocktail picks are restricted.
Compliant alternatives: Wooden stir sticks (readily available and inexpensive), bamboo cocktail picks, or reusable metal options for bar service.
Single-Use Plastic Shopping Bags
Restriction: Thin plastic bags used to carry purchases are not to be provided free of charge. Thicker reusable plastic bags may be sold.
Compliant alternatives: Paper bags, reusable fabric tote bags, or no bag (customer brings their own). Most restaurants have already transitioned to kraft paper takeout bags — if you haven't, this is the most straightforward swap on the list.
Foam & Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) Containers
Restriction: Styrofoam (EPS) food containers and cups are fully restricted. This includes foam clamshells, foam cups, foam bowls, and foam plates.
Compliant alternatives: Virtually any non-foam option: kraft containers, sugarcane bagasse, PP #5 recyclable containers, paper cups, PET clear containers. This is the broadest category of alternatives, so switching is straightforward for most menus.
What Is NOT Restricted
This is where operators often have unnecessary confusion. Several common food service packaging categories are not restricted under the bylaw:
Polypropylene containers and cups are not single-use plastic under the bylaw and remain fully permitted. PP #5 is widely accepted in Metro Vancouver's recycling stream and is one of the most practical formats for cold food containers, deli cups, and portion cups.
Not restricted. Cling wrap and food-safe plastic film for prepping and covering food are unaffected.
Cup lids and container lids are not specifically restricted. Most lids are PP #5, which is a permitted recyclable material.
Not restricted. Kitchen waste bags, garbage liners, and compostable bin liners are all fully permitted.
Nitrile, vinyl, and poly food service gloves are not restricted. Food safety requirements under the BC Food Safety Act continue to apply separately.
Does the Bylaw Apply to My Municipality?
The bylaw applies to all food service businesses within Metro Vancouver member municipalities. The full member municipality list includes:
Outside Metro Vancouver — including Abbotsford, Chilliwack, Mission, Vernon, Kelowna, and the Fraser Valley — the regional bylaw does not apply. However, municipalities outside the region may adopt their own bylaws, and federal regulations restrict certain plastic items nationally. Always check with your local municipality if you're outside Metro Vancouver.
Choosing Compliant Packaging: A Practical Guide
The good news: bylaw-compliant options exist for every restricted product category and perform comparably for most food service applications. Here's a practical decision guide by material:
For a full product-by-product breakdown of compliant options, see our eco-friendly packaging category page, which covers all of these materials in detail.
Frequently Asked Questions
Transition Planning: Where to Start
If your operation still uses one or more restricted items, a practical transition starts with an audit. Go through your current packaging list against the restricted categories above and identify which items need to be replaced. For most operations, that's three to five SKUs:
- Plastic straws → paper straws
- Plastic cutlery → CPLA or birchwood
- Plastic shopping bags → kraft paper bags
- Foam containers → bagasse, kraft, or PP #5
- Plastic stir sticks → wooden stir sticks
Use up your existing inventory where permitted under the on-request provision, then switch to compliant stock on your next order. Ordering case quantities of eco alternatives through True Earth Packaging typically brings per-unit costs close to what you were paying for conventional plastic — particularly for cutlery and straws.
Need help sourcing compliant packaging?
We supply bylaw-compliant alternatives for every restricted category — straws, cutlery, bags, and containers. Contact us for a quote tailored to your operation.