Preventing Waste Outside the Home
Overview
Who: The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change
What: Preventing waste from packaging outside the home
Where: Province-wide
Why: To inform the development of policy approaches that will improve the prevention and recycling of non-residential packaging waste in communities across B.C.
How: Online, survey, written submissions, info sessions, workshops, roundtables
Engagement summary
In British Columbia, we send over 2.5 million tonnes of solid waste from our homes and businesses to landfills and incinerators each year.
While most people in British Columbia have access to recycling at home, up to half of packaging used outside the home is being sent to landfills. This includes at sites like offices, schools, restaurants and stores.
Learn more about the issue by reading our discussion paper (PDF, 4MB).
Ways to participate
This engagement was open to everyone across the province, with specific opportunities for contributions from:
- Residents
- Local governments
- Indigenous governments
- Businesses
- Other impacted organizations
One of the specific audiences we wanted to hear from was Indigenous Peoples, including Rights and Title holders; Métis, Inuit, and First Nations in urban settings. In addition to the other engagement opportunities offered, we hosted roundtable sessions specifically for Indigenous participants.
Online questionnaire
All people in British Columbia were welcome to share their feedback through the online questionnaire. The questionnaire was open until July 23, 2024 at 4 pm.
Info sessions
Representatives of local and Indigenous governments, businesses, and organizations were invited to attend an info session to learn more about non-residential waste in B.C. and policy options for prevention. Two discussion workshops were also hosted with businesses, local governments, institutions and other interested parties.
Written submissions
Submissions were open for interested parties, including businesses, associations, local governments, and other organizations to submit a formal response to the discussion paper until July 23, 2024. Indigenous engagement was open until Sept 15, 2024.
Indigenous roundtables
Indigenous Peoples and communities were invited to participate in a series of virtual engagements in July 2024, led by Mahihkan Management, an Indigenous facilitation and engagement company.
Visit the Preventing Waste Outside the Home engagement website site to learn more.
How your contribution makes a difference
Your input, and feedback gathered from people like you, will be used to help develop policies to prevent this packaging waste from entering our landfills. Participating in this engagement is one action you can take to help create a cleaner, more sustainable province for generations to come.
A What We Learned report is expected to be ready for publication in Fall 2024. Potential policies to prevent non-residential packaging waste will be released in 2025.
Learn more ways to make a difference on preventing plastic waste by visiting gov.bc.ca/reuse.
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