Guelph's Pioneering Bylaw Encourages Reusable Containers for Takeout and Leftovers

As of September 2025, the city of Guelph, Canada has taken a significant step in the fight against plastic pollution by enacting a pioneering bylaw that encourages eateries to accept clean reusable containers for both takeaways and leftovers. This first-of-its-kind policy is part of Guelph's phased approach to tackling single-use items, with the ultimate goal of reducing the city's landfill contribution.

Landfills are notorious for producing large amounts of methane, a greenhouse gas that is far more potent than carbon dioxide in terms of its planet-warming potential. Single-use plastics, such as Styrofoam containers, can take hundreds of years to degrade, further exacerbating this issue as they remain in these waste sites. Guelph's new bylaw aims to address this problem by giving people more options for living sustainably and reducing their environmental impact.

The move to ban Styrofoam containers not only benefits the environment but also provides a cost-saving opportunity for businesses. Styrofoam is known to be difficult and expensive to recycle, and its key ingredient, styrene, has been identified as a probable carcinogen by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Guelph's approach takes the responsibility for Styrofoam use from consumers and places it squarely on businesses, encouraging them to adopt more eco-friendly alternatives.