Whereas in 2019, the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy published the CleanBC Plastics Action Plan which included the consideration for a provincial ban on single-use plastic items to provide a consistent approach to reducing single-use plastics; And whereas the authorization of local governments to enact municipal bylaws to ban plastic checkout bags has created inconsistency between municipalities specifically in regards to the minimum fees applied to recycled paper bags and reusable bags; And whereas the enactment of municipal single-use plastic bylaws is voluntary and thereby creating a patchwork of regulations between neighboring municipalities; And whereas the federal governments proposed Single-Use Plastics Prohibition Regulations published December 25, 2021 will be registered and in force by the end of 2022; and And whereas the federal governments proposed Single-Use Plastics Prohibition Regulations do not include replacement fees for single-use plastic items: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM ask the provincial government to expedite the development of single-use plastic regulations by the end of 2022.
Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy The phase out of single-use plastics is a provincial priority and the Province is taking a wide range of actions to reduce plastic waste and pollution through the CleanBC Plastics Action Plan. The Province has proposed a new regulation that will reduce single-use plastic waste by limiting or banning a range of items, providing a consistent provincial approach. Ministry staff are currently reviewing comments on the proposed regulation, including feedback from local governments. A What We Heard report is due to be published during spring 2023, with a new regulation expected to follow by the end of 2023. We will continue to work with local governments as this work unfolds. The federal regulations coming into force at the end of December 2022 ban the manufacture and import of items, with bans on the sale of items effective December 2023. This aligns with the Provinces timeline for proposed bans on the sale of specific plastic items. The proposed provincial regulation is intended to complement and expand on municipal and federal actions, to transition to more sustainable and reusable alternatives, including proposed fees for alternatives like paper bags. The Province will continue work to harmonize with the federal regulation where possible.