WHEREAS municipalities cannot continue to pay the escalating environmental and financial costs of coping with large volumes of waste; AND WHEREAS packaging materials constitute a major portion of a municipal solid waste stream: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Union of BC Municipalities petition the provincial and federal governments to: -implement programs and policies which will provide strong incentives to manufacturers to reduce the amount of packaging used in their products; -introduce regulations requiring the use of readily recyclable packaging materials where possible; -place on manufacturers the financial responsibility of handling excessive or difficult to dispose of waste packaging; and -enact policies andor legislation whereby all public agencies and corporations give preference, where possible and economical, to suppliers of goods and materials that employ reduced methods of packaging.