Edmonton’s Single-Use Item Reduction Bylaw to ban plastic shopping bags, force restaurants to serve in reusable cups and accept customer cups

News release submitted by the City of Edmonton

City council passes bylaw to significantly reduce waste

The City of Edmonton is taking action to decrease the use of single-use items, which will help reduce the amount of waste being littered and ending up in landfills.

“This is an exciting first step towards climate resiliency. We’re beginning to change our course,” said Mayor Amarjeet Sohi. “We all have a part to play in preserving and protecting our environment, and participating in single-use item reduction is an easy way for all Edmontonians to commit to sustainability. I am supportive of this bylaw and know that together, we can build a greener and more climate-resilient future for all of us.”

On October 4, Council approved the Single-use Item Reduction Bylaw, which will go into effect on July 1, 2023. The bylaw aims to reduce waste by targeting items that can easily be avoided or replaced with reusable options, and by making those reusable options more accessible.

Edmontonians will see the following changes:

Single-use plastic shopping bags will be banned, and businesses must charge at least 15 cents for a paper bag and at least $1 for a new reusable shopping bag.
These minimum fees will increase on July 1, 2024 to 25 cents for a paper bag and $2 for a new reusable bag.
Styrofoam (foam) plates, cups and containers will be banned.
Restaurants must serve dine-in drink orders in reusable cups, and accept reusable customer cups for dine-in and takeout orders.
Accessories (like utensils, straws, pre-packaged condiments and napkins) will only be available by request or self-serve.

Approximately 450 million single-use items are thrown in the garbage each year in Edmonton, plus more that are recycled and littered. Through these measures, the City aims to reduce the number of regulated single-use items used in Edmonton by 20 per cent by 2027.

“Our goal is to reduce single-use items overall, not just to switch from plastic items to non-plastic items,” said Denis Jubinville, Branch Manager of Waste Services. “In addition to diverting more waste from landfill, this bylaw will also help residents think more broadly about waste reduction.

“Something as simple as bringing a reusable cup to a coffee shop may feel like a small step, but when a city of a million residents commits to small behaviour changes, the impact can be significant.”

The City will ensure businesses are well informed and supported through awareness campaigns and various resources, including plain-language guidelines for implementing the changes and customer communication tools.

The bylaw exempts registered charitable organizations, to ensure they’re able to maintain their focus on providing critical social services. Some types of businesses are also currently exempt from portions of the bylaw for safety or feasibility reasons.

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Master agreement approved for event park and Village at ICE District

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Alberta

Master agreement approved for event park and Village at ICE District

Published on August 27, 2025

Todayville Edmonton

News release from the City of Edmonton

City Council has approved the Master Agreement between the City of Edmonton and the Oilers Entertainment Group (OEG) to develop the Public Event Park and the Village at ICE District. Along with the Government of Alberta and the OEG, the City is working to accelerate the development of more housing, new public infrastructure and economic opportunities in the city’s downtown area. In addition to creating new development in the ICE District, the signing of the agreement enables the City to access provincial funding to demolish the Coliseum and continue to progress work on Exhibition Lands.

The total cost of all projects is $408.2 million, which will be shared among all three partners and will deliver:

A new indoor/outdoor Public Event Park in the ICE District
A 2,500 unit community in the Village at ICE District
Demolition of the Coliseum and work to advance the early stages of the Exhibition Lands development

“This type of investment in downtown helps answer the call of downtown vibrancy and could have a cascade effect to stimulate further investment,” said Edmonton City Manager Eddie Robar. “We thank all our team members that had a part in getting this agreement negotiated and in place, as it was a lot of work and represents a huge step forward.”

The event park, estimated at $250 million, will increase downtown vibrancy with events that bring people downtown including low-to-no-cost events for the community as part of the Public Benefits Agreement. It will also generate positive publicity and enhance Edmonton’s reputation as a world-renowned destination, while adding to the local economy.

The preliminary work for the Village at ICE District, estimated at $68.2 million, will expedite the development of 2,500 new housing units and stimulate an estimated $1 billion in private sector investment. It will also lead to the creation of a new downtown park and enhance public streetscaping, including wider sidewalks and pedestrian crossings.

The Coliseum Demolition and Improvement Project, estimated at $90 million, includes $55 million from the provincial government and $35 million from the City of Edmonton. This project will fund the demolition of the Coliseum and the construction of public infrastructure in Exhibition Lands to help create a unique, centrally-located infill urban community that is well-connected to downtown and other areas of the city in the coming decades.

“These catalytic investments are going to set off the next round of transformational growth and development in our downtown, and these projects demonstrate the impact of real partnership for economic development,” said Puneeta McBryan, CEO of the Downtown Business Association. “It is encouraging for the Edmonton business community to see the Government of Alberta and City of Edmonton working together to take our downtown economy to the next level, coupled with the proven success and significant investment from their partners at Oilers Entertainment Group. We’re so excited to see all of this come to life.”

The City will use revenues from the Capital City Downtown Community Revitalization Levy (CRL) to fund its portion of the Event Park and site servicing for ICE District projects. It will also leverage land development revenues already earmarked in the capital budget for the Coliseum demolition to fund other important early work in the Exhibition Lands development.

Council’s approval of the master agreement and associated capital profiles allows the City to execute the agreement with the OEG, which paves the way for all three projects to progress. The master agreement also ensures that grant agreements between the City and the Province must be executed, confirming the provincial funding contributions for all projects.

For more information:

edmonton.ca/eventparkagreement

Alberta

Province forms Edmonton Public Safety Cabinet Committee in response to homeless encampment crisis

Published on January 12, 2024

Government of Alberta

Edmonton encampments: Deputy Premier Ellis

Deputy Premier Mike Ellis issued the below statement in response to Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi’s announcement of his intention to declare an emergency:

“In November, Premier Danielle Smith ordered that an emergency cabinet committee be created and convened in response to the issue of crime and gang-related activity within encampments across the City of Edmonton.

“Alberta’s government cares deeply about vulnerable Edmontonians and we will always ensure that anyone who wants shelter and supportive services will receive it. However, we will not stand by and watch as vulnerable Albertans and the general public continue to be extorted, taken advantage of and killed by gangsters and deadly drugs.

“The Edmonton Public Safety Cabinet Committee (EPSCC) is comprised of ministers from departments that oversee operations and/or administer programs that promote public safety and support the transition of Edmonton-based encampment residents into safe, secure and appropriate arrangements.

“The cabinet committee membership includes:

Danielle Smith, Premier (chair)
Mickey Amery, Minister of Justice
Mike Ellis, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Services
Adriana LaGrange, Minister of Health
Ric McIver, Minister of Municipal Affairs
Jason Nixon, Minister of Seniors, Community and Social Services
Searle Turton, Minister of Children and Family Services
Dan Williams, Minister of Mental Health and Addiction
Rick Wilson, Minister of Indigenous Relations

“Also sworn into the committee are:

Cody Thomas, Grand Chief, Confederacy of Treaty Six First Nations
Dale McPhee, Chief, Edmonton Police Service

“This committee has met continuously since its initial meeting on Nov. 29, 2023, to plan a joint response. Our government is working on an action plan alongside Alberta Health Services, Edmonton Police Service, the Confederacy of Treaty Six First Nations and several departments from the City of Edmonton, including Edmonton Fire Rescue Services.

“Our government will continue to respond to these issues following the expected court decision on Jan. 16, no matter the outcome. We will have a more detailed statement regarding this response once the court decision is made.”

Additional quotes

“It is dangerous for the mayor and others to continue to suggest that vulnerable Albertans do not have anywhere to turn. This is false and will lead to more folks choosing not to seek out shelter because they fear they’ll be turned away. I have said before and will continue to say: there is safe space in shelters around the city and nobody will be turned away. We have more than enough room for every homeless person in the city of Edmonton to have a warm, safe place to stay. It is completely inappropriate and dangerous for the mayor, or anyone, to suggest Edmonton is out of capacity in our social services sector or our emergency shelter systems. Anyone needing shelter space will be kept care of.”

Jason Nixon, Minister of Seniors, Community and Social Services

“I have been working and will continue to work diligently alongside the provincial government, in the spirit of reconciliation, for months on the serious action that is needed to get all people off the streets, including First Nations people. Encampments are not a safe place and letting people overdose and freeze in the cold is not reconciliation.”

Cody Thomas, Grand Chief, Confederacy of Treaty Six First Nations