By the middle of next year, plastic straws, cups and forks will be removed from the city-owned Grand Theatre and the Invista Centre.
Kingston is taking the first step towards a ban on single-use plastics at some public facilities.
“Of course it’s a challenge, because it’s a change in the way we do our business,” said Paul MacLatchy, the city’s environment director.
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Single-use plastics should be a thing of the past by mid 2020 at the two municipally-owned locations. MacLatchy says the marketplace isn’t exactly set up to make this easy, but things are changing and there are products that are becoming available that have less plastic in them.
Robert Kiley is a Kingston city councillor.
“This is a good first step,” Kiley said. “It will allow the city to find best practices that we can then work with local small businesses to help them adopt a more plastic-friendly lifestyle.”
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MacLatchy adds the city can’t ask people to do their part unless the municipality is doing its own, taking a leadership role.