Vancouver city council votes to kill 25-cent single-use cup fee

Vancouver’s controversial 25-cent fee on single-use cups has been scrapped, effect June 1.

Council voted on Wednesday to repeal the year-old bylaw, which was implemented in January, 2022, in an effort to reduce the number of single-use cups being tossed in the garbage.

The bylaw required businesses to charge customers 25 cents for disposable beverage cups. The money collected was kept by the businesses because the city doesn’t have the authority to collect a tax. The city did not place any requirements on businesses on how that money should be spent.

Critics say the program wasn’t successful in discouraging the use of single-use cups and unfairly penalized vulnerable people in the community, while supporters believe scrapping the fee is taking a step backwards in waste-reduction strategies.

“We heard resounding feedback from businesses and residents that this fee was ineffective,” said Coun. Rebecca Bligh, who presented the motion. “With affordability at top of mind for many across Vancouver, repealing the cup fee was the right thing to do.”