Starting April 22, 2020, all licensed food vendors are banned from distributing plastic and compostable plastic straws.
A one-year exemption is available for food vendors who serve bubble tea drinks. The exemption allows bubble tea drinks to be served with plastic or compostable plastic straws until April 21, 2021.
Note: The purpose of the bubble tea straw exemption is to allow time for the market to offer alternative straws that are not made from plastic or compostable plastic.
Requirements to get the straw exemption
Your business must:
- Sell or serve bubble tea drinks; and
- Apply for the exemption by submitting the “Bubble tea straw exemption” form to the City; and
- Submit an exemption form for each business location (if you have multiple locations in Vancouver)
Important: The bubble tea straw exemption only applies to plastic or compostable plastic straws served with bubble tea. All food vendors, including those that serve bubble tea drinks, must still comply with the ban on plastic and compostable plastic straws for all other beverages (example: smoothies, cold drinks).