Province expands powers for municipalities to ban single use plastics

A push towards the elimination of single use plastic items
may soon get underway, that after the BC government
amended regulations for how local government can 
address the issue in their community.
(chart from the Gov't of Canada website)

If they wish, Prince Rupert City Council can now take advantage of some new rules, designed to allow local government to institute bans on plastic bags and certain single use plastic without requiring provincial approval.

In an announcement from Tuesday, the provincial government outlined how they have amended a regulation under the Community Charter to allow local governments to ban single-use plastics, including plastic checkout bags, polystyrene foam containers and plastic utensils, which includes stir sticks. Previously, municipalities required ministerial approval to implement a plastics ban.

George Heyman, the Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy noted how the province was responding to the desires of local government across the province with the measure.

“Communities across B.C. have made it clear they want to be environmental leaders by taking steps to ban single-use plastics. We will continue to work with all levels of government to protect our land and waterways from plastic pollution and the harm it creates. Local governments wanted the ability to act without delay, and now they have it.”

Last year Prince Rupert City Council discusses the ideal of a local initiative, speaking to the topic in January of 2020, but so far no civic action has been taken.

Locally one large commercial organization has introduced their own plastic bag initiative, with Canada Safeway shifting away from the use of plastic bags in May of this year. 

So far they are the only significant commercial sector group provider in the community to do so.

More notes on themes from the Provincial government can be explored here.