On July 25, the provincial government, through CleanBC, launched a public consultation to forge a path forward to reduce plastic pollution in B.C.

Government of B.C. seeks public feedback to reduce plastic waste

CleanBC is the B.C. government’s pathway to a more prosperous, balanced, and sustainable future, which includes actions to reduce carbon pollution, use clean energy to power B.C.’s economy, and create opportunities across the province.

On July 25, the provincial government, through CleanBC, launched a public consultation to forge a path forward to reduce plastic pollution in B.C.Specifically, it seeks feedback on new policy opportunities and proposed amendments to the Recycling Regulation of the Environmental Management Act by Sept. 18, 2019 to address plastic waste.

Among the proposed actions the government is considering are bans on single-use packaging, requiring producers to shoulder more responsibility for plastic products, expanding the recycling refund program, and reducing plastic waste across all product categories and industries.

Some proposed amendments to the recycling regulation:

• Add `packaging-like products’ and `single-use items’ as obligated products to the Recycling Regulation to be recovered and recycled by producers.
• Add all single-use beverage containers to the deposit-refund system.
• Amend the refundable deposit amount to 10 cents for all beverage containers.
• Allow electronic refund options for beverage containers in addition to cash.