Whereas the provincial government has delegated solid waste management planning to regional districts many of whom are pursuing zero waste and set a target of municipal solid waste disposal of 350 kg per capita by 202021; And whereas local governments can work on diversion and management of materials but the provincial government has more powers to influence what kinds of materials come in, the volume of those materials and reductions of those volumes as well as the power to regulate extended producer responsibility programs: Therefore be it resolved that the Province of BC develop a provincial Zero Waste Strategy.
Ministry of Environment Climate Change Strategy Working towards a Zero Waste society is both a necessary and achievable goal, and is a shared effort between various levels of government, industry and citizens. While the Province is most effective in setting provincial diversion targets, and providing the tools and legislation required to help reduce waste, Zero Waste strategies themselves are best developed and executed by regional districts. Regional districts are responsible under the Environmental Management Act to manage municipal solid waste MSW and recyclable material recyclables through the development and implementation of a solid waste management plan SWMP. Each regional district is unique and is best suited to determine what strategies they will undertake in their SWMP to reduce municipal solid waste and meet the Provincial disposal target of 350kg per capita. Recognizing the importance of taking a zero waste approach, in 2016 the Guide to Solid Waste Management Planning was updated to include it as guiding principle. Some Regional Districts are well advanced in pursuing zero waste through a variety of measures, while others are currently focused on improving the solid waste infrastructure and services. Such SWMPs and zero waste strategies are directly supported by Provincial Extended Producer Responsibility EPR legislation, now covering hundreds of everyday products across various product categoriesmore than any other jurisdiction in North America. These industry-funded diversion programs play a key role in supporting local zero waste strategies. While the Province is currently in a mode of continuous improvement regarding the array of EPR programs operating in BC, similar to regional districts, the Province itself has been guided by the national Canadian Council of Ministers of Environment CCME Canada-wide Action Plan CAP on EPR which outlines recommended product categories to incorporate into new programs. This plan can be found at: http:www.ccme.cafilesResourceswasteextendedCAP-EPR20Progress20Report.pdf