Restaurants use up stock before plastic ban begins

from April 6, 2023

Brisco author’s first work, an afterlife novella

Snack Bar owner and chef Yan erien sets out a small regular poutine in

2023, in Radium Hot Springs. erien said his takeaway business is working through the options lations on commercial single-use plastic before the ﬁnal dealine in December.

By Greg Skinner editor@columbiavalleypioneer.com

One of the fantastic ideas to replace plastic straws ﬂoated around the Canadian restaurant industry came from Red Lobster — use red liquorice instead.

With the presumed last summer season of single-use plastic just ahead for the Columbia Valley, local takeaway shops are working through the remaining stock of soon-to-be banned single use plastic containers, plastic cutlery and plastic bags.

Local restaurants are now trying a mishmash of compostable, recyclable and ﬁbre based packaging and cutlery as they try to ﬁgure out how to package food with allowable alternatives.

At the moment there are no single use plastic bylaws governing plastic use in the valley. e entire enterprise to ban plastics in Canada, at this phase, is more or less regulated by the outlawing of manufacturing and importing as a means to dry up the national supply on the way to the real the goal of a single use plastic free Canada by 2030.

Most businesses are working based on the federal guidelines and restaurant industry groups are certainly encouraging their members to make the switch. Restaurants Canada promotes their members to go forward before regulations dictate. ey call it, “Future Ready Food Service.”

“Our organization and our members acknowledge that consumers want their dining experiences to be as environmentally sustainable as possible, but also want convenience.”

Yan erien, co owner of the Snack Bar in Radium Hot Springs, said the Snack Bar switched to biobased food containers all ready. For a while, their famous poutine also went out the front window with wooden cutlery. Essentially, a plastic free exchange. erien switched back to plastic utensils. For the moment, with such high food inﬂation, wood cutlery got too expensive, he said. against a tight margins. ere is still the cost ahead for him to change over to paper bags and reusable food baskets.

“I’ll switch back,” said erien.

Cost and availability are the primary factors eﬀecting the single use changes at Fabuki Sushi in Athalmer.

“Some will work and some won’t,”owner and head chef Dan Shoemaker said. “Basically, replacing plastic is just going to cost more.” ere are sugar cain products and natural fibre bases that serve the needs, he said. e ban on single use plastic imports is already affecting suppliers, who Shoemaker said now scramble to find products to fit changing standards. erien proposed that food ser-

As a result of the continued sourcing issues and his interest in innovation, Shoemaker is looking outside the traditional supply chains for alternatives for one of the most important and basic needs of selling take-away sushi, the clear plastic top.