Province Sets Single-Use Plastic Requirements

A new provincial regulation is expanding B.C.’s efforts to tackle hard-to-recycle single-use and plastic items.

“As part of our government’s CleanBC Plastics Action Plan, the regulation strengthens our efforts to prevent plastic waste and pollution and ensure a better future for the people of B.C. through a healthier environment,” said George Heyman, Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy.

“Focusing on hard-to-recycle single-use and plastic items will help move B.C. to a circular economy where waste and pollution are eliminated, products and materials are kept in the economy through re-use, and natural systems are regenerated.”

The Single-Use and Plastic Waste Prevention Regulation will cover shopping bags, disposable food service accessories, and food service packaging made of polystyrene foam, PVC, compostable or biodegradable plastics.

The requirements will start to come into force in December 2023, meaning businesses have six months to use up existing inventory.

Since the Province launched the CleanBC Action Plan in 2019, 21 municipalities have established bylaws to limit single-use plastics in their communities.

The federal government is also regulating single-use plastics that are harmful to the environment. In December 2022, the manufacturing and importing of six plastic items were prohibited (plastic checkout bags, drinking straws, cutlery, stir sticks, ring carriers and food-service ware made from plastics).

Sales of these items will be banned as of Dec. 20, 2023.

The BC government says the new regulations improve on the federal measures, while promoting reusables and eliminating the use of additional items.

Over their life cycle, reusable products generally produce fewer emissions, consume less water, and decrease waste, litter and pollution compared to disposable alternatives.

For details, visit Government of British Columbia.