By Abdul Matin Sarfraz | Investigations, Climate Solutions Reporting | April 4th 2024
Lugging around a reusable mug to help reduce waste usually feels like a worthwhile habit. But it seemed a bit pointless to me and other patrons at a few Toronto fast food outlets recently.
It has been a month since the City of Toronto's Single-Use and Takeaway Items Bylaw came into effect, requiring all restaurants to accept customer-provided reusables. However, during a recent coffee-buying binge, I found the reality on the ground does not always match the expectations set by this bylaw, which aims to reduce single-use and takeaway items and encourage people to use their own reusable items.
Take, for example, Tim Hortons, Canada’s ubiquitous coffee and restaurant chain. They don’t mind filling your reusable cup. But in some locations, they prepare your beverage in a standard single-use cup, pour it into your travel mug and toss the disposable cup away. Watching this left me feeling slightly disheartened and frustrated.
I first heard this was happening from environmental advocates two weeks after the bylaw took effect on March 1. I decided to investigate by visiting a few locations of McDonald's, Starbucks and Tim Hortons, armed with my reusable cup.
Starting with Tim Hortons, out of five locations I visited, three prepared my drink in a single-use cup and tossed it in the trash after pouring the coffee into my reusable mug.
Read more here: https://www.nationalobserver.com/2024/04/04/investigations/double-double-or-double-trouble-toronto-reusable-cup-bylaw
Toronto's new reusable cup bylaw aims to reduce single-use plastic waste but has sparked debate among coffee drinkers and local businesses. While it promotes sustainability, some fear it could complicate service and deter customers. The bylaw mandates cafes and restaurants to offer reusable options, with a rollout planned for later in 2024.
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