British Columbia has approved local bylaws banning single-use plastics in five communities as it drafts a regulation allowing other local governments to create their own policies without the need for provincial approval.
Environment Minister George Heyman says Victoria, Richmond, Saanich, Tofino and Ucluelet have taken action to prevent waste such as shopping bags, straws and Styrofoam take-out containers from ending up in the ocean and landfills.
He says the new provincial regulation will take between six to eight months to develop and the current approval means the five communities can start the bans based on their local situation.
Mayor Malcolm Brodie of Richmond says it may take some time before that happens in his city, because businesses with a large stockpile of plastic products could face an extra financial burden during COVID-19.
Heyman says the government will begin developing a legal framework for a provincial ban on single-use plastics in partnership with local and federal governments.
He says B.C. will also expand the number of products that can be recycled through recycling programs to include items like plastic cutlery, stir sticks and sandwich bags, effective January 2023.
In 2019, the City of Prince George said they would research whether or not a single-use plastic ban should be implemented in the city.
- with files from Hanna Petersen, PrinceGeorgeMatters
