Banning single-use plastics by 2021? Small business owners weigh in on outright ban

Step into any coffee shop, restaurant, or grocery store, and single-use plastic is pretty hard to avoid.

"Paper cups are wax lined, so there's plastic inside of them. Plastic lids, plastic cold cups, bags, and packaging that stuff comes in too ... there's lots of plastic everywhere," says Katrina Tessier, owner of Scout Coffee + Tea in Winnipeg.

The federal government announced Monday that it wants to ban single-use plastic items, including things like takeaway cups and straws.

A report earlier this year found that 87 per cent of plastic waste in Canada ends up in landfills, while only nine per cent is recycled.

Tessier switched to reusable items last year — including straws — if customers are staying in.

But if they're taking it to go, it's going in plastic.

"You can't get rid of it because you would lose half your business, if not more," she says.

"For a small coffee shop to say, 'Hey we're not going to [do] takeout,' well then those people will just go to another coffee shop," she said.

Either way, she says a ban for everyone would even the playing field for smaller businesses that also want to reduce their waste.

Tessier currently uses compostable cups and takeaway containers, but worries the majority of those are ending up in the landfill anyway.

She is curious what sort of alternatives would be brought in, and how things like biodegradable cups would be processed.

Aaron Bernstein says he's curious about that too.

The owner of Berstein's Deli says he's thought about making people pay for plastic bags as a way to cut down on his business's waste.

"People always want the groceries double bagged," he says.

"Without there being a wide adoption of policies like [banning plastics], it would be very difficult for an owner like me to face the public, to start charging for bags as a deterrent," he says.

"We do offer reusable bags for sale, but most people don't want to purchase them."

The federal government says Canadians throw away 34 million plastic bags a day.

Many businesses, like grocery stores, rely on plastic for products that could easily spread bacteria, like meat, and they wonder what they'll do without plastic as an option.

"Alternatives might be more expensive," says Munther Zeid, owner of Food Fare grocery stores.

"Plastic keeps items fresh, keeps it clean, keeps it organized, and it's cost-effective. So what comes out next? Who knows?" Zeid says.

He's also curious how health and safety rules will be followed if people are coming in looking to purchase items and put them in their own containers.

"We would almost need customers to sign a waiver when they come in, saying that they're using their own packaging and whatever happens to the meat happens," he says.