WHEREAS agricultural plastics and twine are recyclable materials generated by the agriculture industry and often sent to municipal solid waste landfills for disposal; AND WHEREAS diverting agricultural plastics and twine to recycling facilities will reduce the volume of non-biodegradable materials at the landfill; AND WHEREAS the BC Agricultural Council has recently funded a research project to investigate environmentally sound and sustainable options for managing and recycling twine and agricultural plastic; AND WHEREAS the Ministry of Environment has added Schedule 5 Packaging and Printed Paper to the Recycling Regulation; AND WHEREAS the Ministry of Environment has a mandate to add two new product categories to the Recycling Regulation every three years: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that UBCM request the Ministry of Environment work in conjunction with the agricultural industry to expedite the inclusion of agricultural plastics and twine to the Packaging and Printed Paper stewardship program or adding agricultural plastics and twine as a new product category under the Recycling Regulation.
Ministry of Environment The Province recognizes that packaging waste from the agricultural industry is recyclable and that diverting agricultural plastics and twine to recycling facilities will reduce the volume of non-biodegradable materials at the landfill. The Recycling Regulation does not currently mandate the collection of packaging and printed paper from industrial, commercial or institutional premises. The Province intends to include this sector in the future, and is currently undertaking scoping work to identify the flow and volume of packaging materials from these sectors. The Province is committed to supporting the development of a comprehensive provincial program for packaging and printed paper. A phased implementation by sector will support this vision, as a successfully implemented program for residential and municipal premises will help to determine the best approach for the industrial, commercial and institutional sector. The Province looks forward to engaging key stakeholders leading up to a regulatory amendment to include the industrial, commercial and institutional sector. This includes leveraging existing research such as the BC Agricultural Council-funded project investigating environmentally sound and sustainable options for managing and recycling twine and agricultural plastic.