Courtesy: CHAT Newsroom

By Angela Kazmierczak

Local bar embraces transition to compostable straws, containers and utensils

Mar 14, 2023 | 4:38 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – In December of last year, the federal government banned the imports and manufacturing of certain single-use plastics.

Materials often used in the food service industry, such as checkout bags, cutlery, hard-to-recycle plastics, stir sticks and straws, became prohibited.

It is estimated that, in the next ten years, over a million bags of garbage will be eliminated from the single-use plastics ban.

Following the ban, Canadian bars and restaurants are transitioning to the use of biodegradable materials – and more locally, this includes the Medicine Hat Brewing Company.

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Single-use plastics became prohibited as they were found harmful to nature and wildlife.

However, Brennan Vancurren, the owner of Medicine Hat Brewing Company, says that before the ban, they had eliminated most of these plastics.

“Honestly, before that we were doing that already so I think when I went to school for culinary, it was drilled into me to not use plastic if you can and save the environment,” said Vancurren.

The recent law only prompted the bar to go more plastic-free. All of the bar’s takeout containers, straws, forks and other food packaging are biodegradable.

Despite the higher cost of these biodegradable products, Vancurren says the price difference isn’t much. He believes this is why some people may be resistant to using these alternate products.

“The only reason people would stick with it [plastic] is because it would be slightly cheaper and maybe they’re just more used to using those plastic items, but I think it’s a pretty easy switch to go to compostable,” said Vancurren.

He says for the most part, plastics are simply excluded from product listings and he’s able to order what he needs.

Vancurren says it’s a positive change for the environment.

“It’s important that we all try to not use the single-use plastic because it just pollutes the environment and it doesn’t biodegrade and it stays forever. It leaches chemicals, it wreaks havoc on wildlife – all things we should try to avoid,” said Vancurren.

“I think we’re going in a good direction right now, by making this law and changing the products we’re using for the future generations, and I hope we can continue to do that,” the owner said.

He finds customers have transitioned to the compostable materials as well.

“I think the public’s getting pretty used to it now. I think at the beginning with the straws, I heard a few complaints here and there, but I haven’t heard much in the last two years,” he said.

By the end of 2025, the federal government plans to prohibit all six types of single-use plastics, making Canada the first to do so internationally.