Plastic cups still used in Edmonton entertainment districts despite waste bylaw
This is a modal window.
The Video Cloud video was not found.
Posted June 23, 2025 5:33 pm.
Last Updated June 23, 2025 9:29 pm.
If you’re grabbing a drink in Edmonton’s entertainment districts, odds are it’ll be served in a single-use plastic cup — despite a city bylaw aimed at reducing disposable waste.
Since July 2023, Edmonton’s single-use item reduction bylaw has required restaurants and patios to offer reusable cups, and mandates fees for shopping and fast food bags. But in the city’s designated entertainment districts — like Rice Howard Way — those same rules don’t fully apply.
“I think having plastic cups in an event space is kind of a necessary evil,” said Theo Dlusskiy, Edmontonian
Daniel Kielback, senior waste policy planner with the City of Edmonton, explained that the bylaw doesn’t specifically define entertainment districts — which has created a regulatory grey area.
“An entertainment district wasn’t exactly defined in the bylaw, so at the moment, the entertainment districts are following the bylaw by the letter,” said Kielback.
In an email, the Edmonton Downtown Business Association (EDBA) confirmed it had raised concerns over the use of plastic cups ahead of the 2024 pilot project on Rice Howard Way. Some Edmontonians echoed those concerns.
“We need to reduce our plastic use,” said resident Mycah Darlington. “When the rest of us are trying to get away from plastic, why can’t they?”
“We should use compostable products, right? It should be consistent everywhere,” added Gulshan Bhutani, business owner at Curry and Hurry.
According to Kielback, hot beverages are typically served in paper cups with plastic lids, while cold drinks come in see-through plastic cups — the same kind used in entertainment districts.
The EDBA, which operates the entertainment zones on Rice Howard Way and 104 Street, said in a statement that the city selected plastic cups over biodegradable alternatives in order to meet budget constraints.
Ward O-day’min Coun. Anne Stevenson acknowledged the tension between the city’s sustainability goals and the realities of managing public events.
“It sounds like there are two pieces of legislation that are sort of bumping up against each other — our local bylaw and the entertainment district legislation,” Stevenson said. “I hope we can evolve this over time to include more sustainable options.”
Still, some argue that public safety and logistics also need to be considered.
“With event planning, it’s a very complicated environment,” said Dlusskiy. “People walking around unsupervised with cups and having glass break — it’s just too much of a liability.”
Kielback said the city is continuing to work with businesses to reduce waste and expand reusable options as it moves forward with its broader waste reduction strategy.