The leader of the Green Party of Quebec, Alex Tyrrell, and Pierrette Kamning Nguendjong, candidate in Sainte-Rose, spoke about the party's position on single-use containers. The Green Party of Quebec aims to ban single-use coffee cups and replace them with a deposit-refund program. Eliminating single-use paper and plastic should not be an inconvenience or have an impact on people's lives. It's about having the right systems in place to enable users to change their consumption profile with minimal impact on their habits.
Every year, we consume billions of coffee cups, straws, plastic bags, disposable plates and single-use utensils. Reusable cups are widespread, but not many consumers use them, and inconveniences and systemic issues limit their use by the entire Quebec population. To counter the consumption of single-use objects and address the systemic drawbacks they represent, the Green Party of Quebec proposes a complete ban on straws, plastic bags, utensils and single-use cups.
Single-use cups will be replaced by a reusable universal cup based on a deposit-exchange program. The universal cups will also be exchangeable on a deposit system, regardless of the restaurant chain or small café the consumer frequents. Restaurants will be responsible for cleaning the cups and distributing them to customers. In addition, a similar program will be set up for certain grocery containers and take-out meals. The ban would eliminate thousands of tonnes of plastic and waste from our landfills, waterways and oceans.
