Reduction Strategy Emily Willobee, Policy & Programs Planner - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Emily Willobee, Policy & Programs Planner

Single-Use Item Reduction Strategy

Council Meeting September 9, 2019

Presentation Outline

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1. Jurisdiction for single-use items 2. Items of local impact 3. Recommendation and proposed timeline

SINGLE-USE ITEM REDUCTION STRATEGY

SINGLE-USE ITEM REDUCTION STRATEGY

Single-use packaging items Single-use “packaging-like” items Other single-use plastics (“products”)

Includes:

• plastic and polystyrene

foam takeout containers;

• plastic and paper checkout

bags;

• plastic film and overwrap;
• coffee and drink cups,

including polystyrene foam cups; and

• plastic drink cup lids.

Includes:

• plastic straws;
• plastic stir sticks; and
• plastic cutlery or utensils.

Includes:

• balloons;
• disposable diapers;
• plastic party cups or

plates; and

• food storage bags (e.g.,

Ziploc bags).

Clearly defined in the provincial Recycling Regulation and subject to EPR program for Packaging and Printed Paper. Not defined as packaging by the provincial Recycling Regulation, but

• ften associated with take-out

packaging materials. Not considered packaging items under the provincial Recycling Regulation and not included in EPR programs.

What are single-use items

SINGLE-USE ITEM REDUCTION STRATEGY

Jurisdiction for single-use items

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SINGLE-USE ITEM REDUCTION STRATEGY

Federal Government Provincial Government BC Local Governments

Regulatory authority Federal wildlife and environmental protection Product packaging design standards Import standards Provincial wildlife and environmental protection Municipal waste collection (residential, public realm, litter) Business regulation Authority specific to single-use items Authority to regulate single-use items Authority to establish EPR programs, regulate single- use items Limited authority to regulate distribution of single-use items through local business regulations Potential tools Product design regulations Import standards EPR programs and product stewardship plans Business licensing & regulation bylaws

Information about jurisdiction

SINGLE-USE ITEM REDUCTION STRATEGY

Canadian Plastic Bag Association vs. City of Victoria BC Court of Appeal ruling: Provincial approval is required for local government to adopt bylaw regulating distribution of single-use items. At the June 24, 2019 Meeting, Council passed a motion to request provincial approval to regulate.

July 11 BC Court of Appeal decision

SINGLE-USE ITEM REDUCTION STRATEGY

Provincial action

• Single-use packaging items in EPR

Program managed by Recycle BC

• Some items collected at depot-only
• New stewardship plan recently

accepted by Province

• Clean BC Plastics Action Plan

consultation paper

Recycle BC’s depot-only items

SINGLE-USE ITEM REDUCTION STRATEGY

• Canadian Council of Ministers of Environment:

national strategy and action plan development launched in 2018

• Government of Canada: announced in June 2019 the

intention to roll out nation-wide measures to reduce or ban some single-use items as soon as 2021

Federal action

SINGLE-USE ITEM REDUCTION STRATEGY

• Released 2018 waste audit results, including single-use item

information

• Developing regional tool kit for local governments
• Resource for local government action on single-use item reduction
• Currently conducting stakeholder engagement
• Coordinating dialogue among member municipalities
• Advocacy in support of member municipalities

Metro Vancouver regional action

Target items for the Metro Vancouver Regional Single-use Item Toolkit

SINGLE-USE ITEM REDUCTION STRATEGY

Items of local impact

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SINGLE-USE ITEM REDUCTION STRATEGY

Single-use item Local operational impact Notes Hot drink cups & lids

(plasticized or polycoat paper cups)

Significant

An estimated 320,000-380,000 cups are collected each year in West Vancouver’s streetside bins. Item is sometimes targeted for voluntary reduction (typically a discount at point of sale for bringing a reusable cup).

Polystyrene foam cups and containers Notable

Foam accounts for approximately 10%

• f recorded shoreline litter locally.

Only 7% of West Vancouver residents reported that they

• ften bring depot-only materials like foam and plastic film

for recycling (2017). Alternatives to polystyrene foam cups and takeout containers are readily available. Many businesses have already switched to plastic or paper alternatives.

Other takeout containers

(metal, plastic, plasticized or polycoat paper, etc.)

Notable

A wide variety of container types are used for takeout foods, with varying instructions for recycling or disposal. Food safety requirements established by provincial health authorities impact the takeout container choices of local businesses.

Impacts to District municipal operations

SINGLE-USE ITEM REDUCTION STRATEGY

Recommendation and proposed timeline

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SINGLE-USE ITEM REDUCTION STRATEGY

• Initiate local business engagement in Fall 2019
• Continue to document impact of single-use items on

municipal operations

• Advocate at UBCM and to the Province for regulatory
• pportunities
• Continue to support and facilitate voluntary reduction

efforts by NGOs and local business

• Report back to Council with results and

recommendations in early 2020

Single-use Item Reduction Strategy

SINGLE-USE ITEM REDUCTION STRATEGY

Phase Timeline Key stakeholders District: Leadership by example Summer 2019 & on-going Internal action planning by cross-departmental staff group Phase I: Information gathering Initiate Fall 2019 Report back early 2020 Local business and business associations Phase II: Action planning TBD Local business and business associations General public

Proposed engagement timeline

Thank You!

SINGLE-USE ITEM REDUCTION STRATEGY