WHEREAS the Province is transitioning responsibility for end-of-life management of goods to industry through the use of product stewardship program as governed by the BC Ministry of Environment Recycling Regulation; AND WHEREAS there is currently no product stewardship program for used mattresses and improperly discarded mattresses have to be disposed of by local government at taxpayers expense: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that UBCM request the provincial government to require industry to develop a product stewardship program to adequately address end-of-life management of waste mattresses.
Ministry of Environment The Ministry of Environment supports UBCMs request to include waste mattresses under future product stewardship programs to ensure the costs associated with managing these commonly discarded products are transferred to the producers responsible. In fact, the Ministry has committed to meeting the targets set out in the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environments CCME Canada-wide Action Plan for Extended Producer Responsibility EPR programs including those for construction and demolition materials, furniture including mattresses, hide-a-beds, etc., textiles, carpets and appliances by 2017. BC continues to lead all jurisdictions in this regard. Continued efforts in the Lower Mainland to collect and recycle these items are encouraged as they will not only support waste diversion, but will help establish this industry as a proven entity and inform future consultations regarding the upcoming EPR program for mattresses.