Skip to main content

“I am a Canadian, free to speak without fear, free to worship in my own way, free to stand for what I think right, free to oppose what I believe wrong, or free to choose those who shall govern my country. This heritage of freedom I pledge to uphold for myself and all mankind.” ~~ John G. Diefenbaker

ADAM OLSEN -- Please have your voice heard and take part in the consultation


Remember when fast food containers were made of styrofoam? Well those days are long gone and public awareness continues to grow with respect to the huge amount of single-use waste collecting in our landfills and recycling depots.

In recent times special attention is focusing on the impact of plastic items that are finding their way into our aquatic environments and causing tremendous problems for marine animals and the overall health of our oceans.

I wrote a post back in January called “Reduce, reuse, recycle. In that order”.  It was about our rate of consumption and our ravenous appetite devouring the earth's limited resources at a rapid pace. This week, the provincial government announced they are planning to expand our recycling efforts and they want the public's input on what should and should not be included.

This is a priority that I and my colleagues share with our BC NDP colleagues and we are happy they have started this process. 23 British Columbia communities have begun to take action on single-use plastic items and in 2018 the City of Victoria put a ban on plastic shopping bags. Despite a legal challenge to the Victoria bylaw, the province wants to work with the local and federal leaders on this issue. We are committed to finding solutions!

Seeking public input
The four areas they are seeking your response are:
  1. Bans on single-use plastics,
  2. Expanding extended producer responsibility (EPR) programs to increase recycling options,
  3. Increasing deposit rates to ensure more bottle and beverage containers are returned, and
  4. Increasing the amount of recycled plastic content is in new products.

The Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change Strategy has provided a detailed policy brief that I encourage you to read. They are seeking your advice and feedback on these important issues. They suggest increasing deposit rates on all containers from $0.05 to $0.10 and one aspect I would like your feedback on is if the deposit rate should go even higher so we can recover closer to 100% of those containers.

Please have your voice heard and take part in the consultation.
  1. Complete the public survey at: https://cleanbc.gov.bc.ca/plastics
  2. Send a formal submission to: Plastics@gov.bc.ca Read the guidelines for formal submissions at: https://cleanbc.gov.bc.ca/plastics
  3. Email your comments to: Plastics@gov.bc.ca
  4. Mail your comments to:
    Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy – Recycling Regulation Amendments
    PO Box 9341 Stn Prov Govt
    Victoria, BC V8W 9M1




Adam Olsen ... is a Green Party Member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia for Saanich North and the Islands.

Born in Victoria, BC in 1976, Adam has lived, worked and played his entire life on the Saanich Peninsula. He is a member of Tsartlip First Nation (W̱JOȽEȽP), where he and his wife, Emily, are raising their two children, Silas and Ella.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Abbotsford-Mission MLA Reann Gasper to step down for Conservative Leader Hon. Kerry-Lynne Findlay to run in a by-election

Deputy Whip and MLA Reann Gasper has informed the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia of her decision to step down as MLA for Abbotsford-Mission, creating an opportunity for Conservative Party of British Columbia Leader Hon. Kerry-Lynne Findlay to seek the seat in a forthcoming by-election. Gasper said the decision was made carefully and deliberately, with the future of British Columbia firmly in mind. Abbotsford-Mission MLA Reann Gasper “This is a decision I have made after a great deal of careful consideration, and I believe it is the right decision for me, for our Party, and for the work ahead,” said MLA Gasper. “It has been a privilege to represent the people of Abbotsford-Mission, and I am deeply grateful to everyone who placed their trust in me. I am also grateful for the opportunity to serve alongside my colleagues in the Conservative Caucus and to contribute to our leadership team.” “I have confidence in Kerry-Lynne, in her leadership, and in her ability to ...
Post a Comment
Read more

NDP Sits on $61 Million With No Start Date for Burnaby Hospital

Phase 2 of Burnaby Hospital redevelopment  was green lit to go ahead in September 2023 The NDP spent $45 million on the Burnaby Hospital redevelopment, cancelled the second phase, and now has another $61 million listed for the project in the province’s Public Accounts, with no start date for construction. If the NDP cancelled the project, what is happening to the $61 million set aside for it? The Phase 2 project was expected to cost between $1.7 billion and $1.8 billion and was intended to expand the hospital’s capacity. With Burnaby’s population growing and residents struggling to access healthcare, the government should be investing in healthcare capacity, not leaving millions of dollars tied up in limbo. “The NDP spent $45 million on this project before cancelling it, and now $61 million remains listed for it in the Public Accounts,” said MLA Misty Van Popta, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure. “If the government isn’t going to build the hospital expansion, it should explain whe...
Post a Comment
Read more

BC Conservatives Point to Warning Signs in BC’s Economy

While Canada posted modest job gains in July, warning lights are still flashing in British Columbia. Youth unemployment remains stubbornly high, leaving too many first-time jobseekers shut out of the workforce. BC also lost 3,400 public administration jobs in July, likely as temporary Census positions ended. “BC's jobs divide remains stark. Unemployment is far higher in business-driven communities like Kelowna (9.3%) and Abbotsford-Mission (8.3%) than in Victoria (5.0%). Government should be focused on creating the conditions for private-sector investment and job growth,” said Gavin Dew, MLA for Kelowna-Mission and Shadow Minister for Economic Development. “We need an economy where young people can find work, businesses can hire, and every region has the opportunity to prosper.” This comes as BC faces five straight quarters where more businesses are closing than opening, an NDP cabinet rift over job-creating projects like Tilbury LNG, and fresh signs that even the province's to...
Post a Comment
Read more

Labels

Show more