Plastics Action Plan
On this page…
Overview
Who: The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change
What: Proposal of a new regulation to reduce waste from single-use and plastic items
Where: Province-wide
Why: To tackle plastic waste and pollution
How: Survey, written submissions
Engagement Summary
On April 22, 2022 the B.C. government released an Intentions Paper proposing a new regulation to help tackle waste and pollution from single-use and plastic items. This was accompanied by a 10-week public engagement period to obtain feedback from Indigenous communities, local governments, the public, industry, and key partners. This feedback helped inform the development of the new Single-Use and Plastic Waste Prevention Regulation which will take effect on December 20, 2023. More information on the regulation can be found on the plastics webpage.
The following single-use and plastic items are included in the new regulation:
- Shopping bags
- Disposable food service accessories
- Food service ware (polystyrene foam, PVC, PVDC, compostable plastics, and biodegradable plastics)
- Oxo-degradable plastics (plastics with additives designed to break down into microplastics)
The engagement included two surveys, one for the general public and one for businesses. It also welcomed written submissions from Indigenous communities, local governments, industry, and non-governmental organizations.
Results
- 1,945 completed public surveys
- 67 completed business surveys
- 74 total written submissions
Next Steps
Feedback received through this engagement was collected and summarized in a What We Heard report, which informed the drafting of the new Single-Use and Plastic Waste Prevention Regulation. The regulation will come into effect on December 20, 2023. For more information please visit the plastics webpage.
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