Whereas single-use disposable products, whether they are recyclable or not, must be manufactured, handled and then disposed of which is not always done in the proper waste stream; And whereas all petroleum plastic disposable products are derived from fossil fuels which increases carbon emissions in the atmosphere, and all plastic products created never go away; And whereas the compostable or biodegradable disposable products are not accepted at all composting facilities and can contaminate the recycling stream by being confused with recyclable plastic products; And whereas the costs both known and unaccounted for associated with these disposable products of convenience, should be borne by the manufacturers, the distributors and the retailers who are creating the products and then handing them out to consumers, would create an environment of responsibility and awareness by assigning an environmental handling fee to these products which is dispersed to local government responsible for financing solid waste and recycling; Therefore be it resolved that UBCM request the Province of British Columbia to engage with retailers, manufacturers and industry to implement an environmental fee for all single use plastic products and packaged goods, including compostable and biodegradable entering the British Columbia market place to incentivize reduction, to help subsidize regional solid waste management programs, and to take action towards creating a Provincial Single-Use Item Reduction Strategy as part of a Provincial Zero Waste Strategy.
Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy The Province of British Columbia is encouraged by the level of interest in and action being taken by local governments on single-use item strategies and other related initiatives to reduce plastic in the environment. The Province also recognizes that there are actions being taken by local governments that could be supported by a responsive provincial approach for both single-use items and waste management generally. Recognizing the need for a new approach to plastics and single-use items, the CleanBC Plastics Action Plan and engagement was launched by the Province on July 25th, 2019. Through the consultation paper, the Ministry sought feedback on developing new policy options and actions in four connected areas to reduce plastic pollution and use less plastic overall. This included information on the use of bans, levies or fees for single use packaging and expanding producer responsibility for packaging-like products and single-use items. The consultation closed on September 30th, 2019 and the Ministry is currently reviewing feedback collected during this engagement and will publish a What We Heard report to inform the appropriate policy or regulatory responses. Any work to explore new regulation would be accompanied by further consultation in advance of any regulatory changes.