You Won't Find Single-Use Utensils At Toronto Restaurants Soon & Here's What You Need To Know

A new by-law is taking effect in Toronto this week and it'll make your takeout order look a little different.

Toronto restaurants will no longer be handing out single-use utensils and other items, without being asked for it first.

This phase-out of single-use items like cutlery is part of the City of Toronto's "Long Term Waste Management Strategy."

Starting March 1, as part of Stage 2 of the "Single-Use and Takeaway Items Reduction Strategy," restaurants are expected to abide by the city by-law and have an "ask-first/by-request" approach.

This means that if you don't ask for it, then don't expect to get:

• "Accessory food items, such as straws, napkins, stir sticks, utensils, beverage takeout trays and condiment packages
• Paper shopping bags except for certain types of paper shopping bags, such as those used to hold bakery items and prescription or medication bags"
• Specific paper bags that are a part of the City's diversion program, which include those with metal grommets or plastic handles.

Additionally, starting March 1, it will be mandatory for establishments to accept customers' reusable shopping bags and reusable beverage cups.

This is part of the greater goal to further reduce waste in the next 30 to 50 years, which focuses on "waste reduction, reuse and recycling" and "activities that promote resource conservation and reduce environmental impact."

To help small businesses with these changes, the city is offering a Circular Food Innovators Fund and applications close on February 27, 2024.

The fund was created to "support local small businesses (both for-profit and not-for-profit) to implement reuse systems that replace single-use and takeaway items with reusable foodservice ware that is collected and redistributed for further use."

So, in other words, if you don't find a fork for your salad, it's not because the Toronto restaurant didn't want to give you one. It's because you didn't ask for one.