BC should look to zero waste solutions to reduce GHG emissions and create jobs
British Columbia is ahead of most North American jurisdictions in implementing composting and recycling programs. Yet, we are systemically burdened by endless amounts of packaging, especially the mass proliferation of plastic, which is an environmental tragedy of our times.
BC shares the core problem with other jurisdictions: a culture of consumption and an extraction-oriented economic system that contributes to solid waste, pollution and climate change.
The updated CleanBC climate plan points to a “circular economy” for deeper GHG emission reductions. There is potential to reduce emissions through better recycling programs and redesign and reuse of products and materials so that wastes become inputs into production. The term “circular economy,” however, has been embraced by large business interests that emphasize technological solutions, still predicated on an extractive economy.
Our report A Zero Waste Agenda for BC places much greater emphasis on upstream, proactive solutions–rethinking systems, aggressive materials reduction, redesign and reuse before recycling and composting. BC’s recycling activities are heavily integrated into global markets where recycled materials are just another low-value commodity. We advocate moving beyond conventional recycling to get serious about well-designed conservation and materials management policies that can simultaneously support GHG emission reductions and local economic development.
Achieve zero waste by 2040
BC can build on existing strengths, change systems and abandon wasteful consumption habits. We propose zero waste as a goal for 2040.
This should start with aiming for dramatic reductions in waste production, including banning single-use packaging and embracing reusable packaging and food and beverage containers. To date, companies have not had to design their products and packaging with reuse in mind, and relying on a recycling model has major limitations.
We advocate moving beyond conventional recycling to get serious about well-designed conservation and materials management policies.
Many communities underserved by existing programs
Recycling in BC is primarily delivered by Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) programs that require producers to take back materials. However, many communities are underserved by existing programs and a significant amount of products and packaging are not yet regulated. These programs are failing to meet their mandate on redesign, reduction, reuse and repair.
Raising the bar on EPR is key to ensuring products and packaging can be used and reused and not added to the waste stream, and to ensure high employment standards and decent work.
To increase local economic benefits and ensure high-quality, fairly priced service across BC, a stronger public presence is needed. A new zero waste Crown corporation could fill in gaps in the system, including coordinating community-level collection depots (including rural areas), creating more standardized collection bins and taking on collection for BC government operations.
Strong public action needed
The public sector can play a strong role in generating local demand for lower consumption products and recycled materials. Stronger public procurement and minimum recycled content requirements would drive demand and keep more materials in BC for processing and jobs. Additionally, more system-wide planning and data collection in the public domain is required to shine a light on where materials flow after consumption, including recycling and composting, landfills and incineration and GHG impacts.
A new zero waste Crown corporation could fill in gaps in the system.
New regulatory frameworks are needed in two pressing areas, plastics and construction/demolition waste.
Climate action and green jobs
Key to a zero-waste goal is maintaining a high standard of living while dramatically shrinking required energy and material flows (fossil fuels, electricity, wood products, minerals and metals) into the economy and the wastes (solid and liquid waste, air pollution and carbon emissions) that flow out.
Fortunately, BC has a breadth of experience and successes in existing collection systems and EPR programs and the CleanBC framework is beginning to address plastic waste. The next stage involves scaling up and strengthening these systems and linking them to climate action and creating new green jobs.
This article was originally published in The Tyee.
Topics: Climate change & energy policy, Economy, Employment & labour, Environment, resources & sustainability, Municipalities