Whereas the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategys Plastics Action Plan Policy Consultation Paper requested feedback regarding bans on single-use packaging, reducing and recycling more plastics, and higher returns of plastic bottles; And whereas harmonization of the BC Plastics Action Plan and Canada-wide Strategy on Zero Plastic waste regulations regarding reduction of single-use plastics shifts the costs and responsibility of restricting single-use plastics from local governments to producers: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM urge the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy to collaborate with the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment to ensure consistent regulations across Canada to reduce single-use products and increase producers responsibility for end-of-life management of single-use products.
Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy The Ministry has been an active member of the Canadian Council of Ministers for the Environment CCME since its inception. Most recently, BC has played an active role in engaging with federal, provincial and territorial counterparts in the development of the Canada-Wide Strategy for Zero Plastic Waste to seek common goals while ensuring approaches meet the needs of British Columbians. In 2019, the Province undertook public engagement on the CleanBC Plastics Action Plan. Over 35,000 British Columbians responded between July 25 September 30, 2019. Through this and subsequent engagement, the Province has heard that citizens, Indigenous communities, local governments, non-government organizations and many businesses want action on plastics. Alignment, where possible, with national approaches to bans of single use plastics and development of recycled content standards was recognized as part of the engagement. On September 12, 2020, the Province announced actions that support introduction of bans by municipalities on certain single-use items and that work is underway on a provincial approach, in addition to improving and expanding extended producer responsibility EPR programs in BC. This includes the streamlining of EPR to include milk and milk alternative containers to the deposit-refund system and the introduction of a 0.10 minimum refund, in turn enhancing national consistency. The Province also published a Recycling Regulation Policy Intentions Paper IP. https:engage.gov.bc.cagovtogetherbcconsultationrecycling-regulation-pol… The IP outlined the proposed amendments to the Recycling Regulation through the priority products identified as gaps in the current regulation from the 2019 service gap analysis and the CleanBC Plastics Action Plan. The ministry received substantive feedback from key partners and stakeholders by the November 20, 2020 submission deadline for the IP. This feedback will be summarized and made publicly available by Spring 2021 . This will help to inform and develop proposed priorities as part of a five-year plan for amending the Recycling Regulation.