British Columbians will no longer be given single-use plastic cutlery and bags

By CBC News

British Columbians will no longer be given single-use plastic cutlery and bags as of Wednesday.

New regulations mean that wooden forks, knives and spoons are now only available on request, along with drink lids, straws, condiments and napkins. Straws are largely prohibited, with a limited exemption for those who need them for accessibility reasons.

It’s all part of the province’s single-use plastics ban, some of which went into effect on Dec. 20, aligning with federal regulations that went into effect on the same day.

However, the province says it will phase in other aspects of the federal single-use plastics regulations, which forbids a range of single-use plastic items, including takeout containers.