Recently, the Regional District of Fraser-Fort George sent out a news release outlining recommendations that promise to minimize the amount of garbage landfilled over the next five-to-10 years.
Their recommendations fail on this promise.
I am a university student studying methods of breaking down plastics and repurposing them. My ideal future is one where all plastics that have been used are repurposed. My enthusiasm is not shared by the district and is a major problem when planning for the future.
Firstly, the targets that the district has set are not ambitious enough. They intend to reduce the solid waste landfilled from 840 kg/capita/year to 570 kg/capita/year. This target still has an average 57 kg person producing 10 times their weight in landfilled, non-recyclable garbage per year.
This goal is unacceptably low and must become more ambitious. In Estonia, just off the Baltic Sea, they produced 167.4 kg/capita in 2011. With this in mind, I would like to set a new goal of 300 kg/capita/year.
Secondly, several recommendations the district has put forward require community initiation - even though $1.7 million of proposed and current diversion programs are being spent to reduce the total waste. Pay me
$1.7 million and I will go door-to-door systematically encouraging garage sales, rather than holding one "Junk in the Trunk" sale and calling it sufficient.
Lastly, why is the University of Northern British Columbia - a key pillar of research and innovation with environmental awareness - not in any of these recommendations? It seems foolish to push recommendations that affect our region as greatly as the management of our waste without communicating with one of the leading research institutions in our country.
If you feel as I do, that the regional district has a stronger obligation to help manage our waste, then make your voice heard in the development of the five-to-10 year plan for the waste management of our region. I know I will.
The survey is open until Nov. 30 and can be accessed at www.rdffg.bc.ca/services/environment/solid-waste-management/RSWMP or typing "rdffg solid waste management" into Google. Also, emails and phone calls are more explicit ways to make your opinion heard.
Seamus Hogan
Prince George
