Single Use Items bylaw moves one step closer to achieve significant reduction in single use plastics and other items

The significant reduction and eventual elimination of single use plastics and other single use items continues to be the overarching goal of a proposed District of Squamish bylaw. While Council began the process by targeting plastic check-out bags and straws, a deep-dive into the research as well as public input from the disability community has prompted a closer look at how best to achieve that goal. An extensive discussion took place at the September 17 Committee of the Whole, and the bylaw is now one step closer to becoming reality as a Single Use Items bylaw, which enables work to commence immediately to reduce plastic bags and straws, and in time all single use items going forward. 

On the topic of bags, a small but strategic shift in the proposed regulation has taken place. This is in response to research that suggests banning plastic bags outright could have an unintended consequence of shifting the problem and lead to increased consumption of other types of bags - such as paper and polypropylene bags - which actually have higher greenhouse gas emissions than plastic. 

“This does not change the fact that our end goal is to eliminate the use of any and all single use bags,” says District of Squamish Mayor Karen Elliott. “We don’t want this to become a conversation that pits the virtues of plastic bags versus paper bags; it’s about changing our habits to reject single-use options in favour of something that is durable and reusable.”  

A motion from the September 17 Committee Of the Whole directs staff to introduce a fee scale for all check-out bags as a means to reduce use of all types of single-use bags. Research suggests that taking the simple steps of asking customers if they need a bag and introducing even a nominal a fee can reduce single-use checkout bag use by up to 40%.

“We are living in a complex time where a consumer must weigh many different options and seek to recognize the entire lifecycle of a product - from production to transport to end-of-life - in order to judge a product’s impact on the environment. Part of our role is to look at the science and data and then work with business and our community to provide our best guidance on options to drastically reduce the harm single use plastics have in the environment, eliminate the complexity and nuisance of single use items in our recycling and waste stream, and lower our overall carbon footprint,” continues Elliott. 

Also influencing this bylaw is a recent court ruling involving the City of Victoria that will not allow municipalities in B.C. to ban single use plastics without the permission of the Province. The results of this court case effectively limits the District’s ability to unilaterally ban single use plastics until the Province is in a position to agree. This ruling, as well as a groundswell of feedback from citizens and communities across B.C., prompted the provincial government to ask for feedback on options for reducing overall plastic waste and packaging. The survey is open until September 30 citizens are encouraged to provide their feedback through the survey link: https://cleanbc.gov.bc.ca/plastics/

The District has taken the lead with colleagues at the District of Tofino to craft a letter in partnership with over 20 municipalities to provide feedback to the Plastics Action Plan, presented to British Columbians earlier this summer by the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy. The goal of the letter is to harmonize local government feedback to speak with a stronger voice.

“Plastic pollution on the whole results in massive environmental degradation worldwide, and we are encouraged to see the Province take action on setting reduction strategies for  B.C.,” says Elliott. “The District will be watching closely and actively engaging in the conversation as the plan unfolds to understand our role in supporting it locally.”

The District will also develop educational materials and tools for business owners and residents to accompany the new Single Use Items Reduction bylaw to support those on the front line with information, tools and materials to convey new bylaw requirements to customers.   

The District’s Zero Waste Strategy has been in place since 2016, and sets targets in line with provincial targets to achieve an average 350 kg per person per year garbage disposal rate with a corresponding diversion rate of 75% by 2020, and reaching the goal of zero waste by 2040. This Council has asked staff to accelerate these targets to reduce per capita waste to 300 kg by 2021. Progress has been made to date from a high point of 642 kg in 2016, to the latest number of 515 kg in 2018, and this new Single Use Items bylaw will further work towards these goals. 

A draft Single Use Items bylaw will be brought to Council later in the year.

September 23, 2019