Montreal to cut out single-use items

Montreal is taking a stance on environmental issues and taking steps toward eliminating single-use items in the city.

Crise mondiale du plastique: la @MTL_Ville fait sa part pour réduire et interdire les plastiques à usage unique sur son territoire 🌎👉 https://t.co/ycdr6RQM4G #environnement #polmtl pic.twitter.com/fm6XXgizKF

— Valérie Plante (@Val_Plante) April 24, 2019

The Environment Department of the City of Montreal is launching a project outlining steps to regulate the use of single-use items in the territory, items which can take several hundred years to decompose.

"Time is running out and we must act now. By taking strong actions like this one, we make sure to do our part to bequeath to the generations of tomorrow, a healthy city,” said Mayor Plante [translated from French].

I'm so happy about this! Lets make change before it's too late!

"Montreal is banning single-use plastic items and styrofoam food containers" https://t.co/67XKCYYlmr
"Montreal is banning single-use plastic items and styrofoam food containers" https://t.co/67XKCYYlmr

— 💔Artsy💔 (@MissArtsy_) April 25, 2019

Valerie Plante, the mayor of Montreal, along with Laurence Lavigne Lalonde, head of Ecological Transition and Resilience, made their first announcement on the project on Wednesday, stating the change will be tabled for the spring of 2020.

"We want to quickly achieve results in reducing waste in the Montréal area. Not only does this have a direct impact on citizens, but also on our environment and on our public finances,” said Lalonde [translated from French].

“The gesture we are making today allows us to reach the champion cities like Vancouver, which has already adopted such regulations” [translated from French].

The project will limit the use of styrofoam cups, take-out containers, polystyrene trays, plastic straws and utensils, and other similar items.