Given that the City doesn't have the clear legal authority to ban or tax plastic bags under the Vanvouver Charter, form a community task force to map out a strategy and a campaign to make Vancouver plastic bag free. Lobby the province to regulate a producer responsibility program where vendors would be responsible for taking back and recycling their single use bags, and where the province would set targets to quickly phase out plastic bags. Collaborate with Metro Vancouver on a social marketing pilot program to reduce disposable shopping bags and promote reusable ones.
Make Reducing and Reusing a Priority
Reducing and reusing are even more important than recycling and energy recovery in a zero waste society.
By avoiding the need to extract raw resources and extending the life of products, reducing and reusing conserve energy, and as a result, greenhouse gas emissions. The City will elevate the importance of reducing and reusing, primarily through programs that create new opportunities and raise awareness.
Actions for this strategy
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Make Vancouver Plastic Bag Free
Start Lending Libraries or Sharing Co-ops
Offer a grant program to start lending libraries or sharing co-ops, much like book libraries or car-share cooperatives, but focusing on items like tools and toys, and managed by resident associations, social enterprises or cooperatives.
Pilot Give-Away Programs on a Neighbourhood Scale
Pilot neighbourhood give-away programs for reusable items.
Reduce Junk Mail
Collaborate with Metro Vancouver in junk mail reduction pilot programs.
Establish Reuse Depots
Establish reuse depots.
Address Food Waste in Grocery Stores, Restaurants, and Food Processors
Form a Zero Food-Waste Task Force of community stakeholders, grocers, food processors and restaurants to develop industry best practices to stop food waste at the source and maximize the re-distribution of food that isn’t sold.
Offer Vouchers for Reusable Diapers
Support or administer a voucher program for reusable diaper services.
Comments
Thank you for your input! The strategies and actions listed here are drafts. Read the final version of the Greenest City Action Plan.
Recent comments in Zero Waste
thirteencentpinball commented on
Nurture a Zero Waste Culture
runrik commented on
Make Reducing and Reusing a Priority
Janine Brossard commented on
Make Reducing and Reusing a Priority
Janine Brossard commented on
Make Reducing and Reusing a Priority
Janine Brossard commented on
Make Reducing and Reusing a Priority
Janine Brossard commented on
Nurture a Zero Waste Culture
Janine Brossard commented on
Nurture a Zero Waste Culture
Control Free Newspaper Circulation
The stacks of free newspapers in office elevator lobbies, condo entries and store entries should be controlled or stopped altogether. These papers often sit there, unread until maintenance staff dumps them in the recycle bin (I hope) only to have them replaced by a fresh stack.
It was bad enough years ago with only local papers like Vancouver Courier, WestEnder, Georgia Straight etc piled up in every lobby, but now 24 and Metro are handed out on every corner downtown besides the stacks of them at most restaurant doors and in distribution boxes.
Kids Party Library
Set up a pilot project at one the the community centres that has a kitchen/dishwashing facility.
Have about 6 sets of stainless steel partyware to be borrowed by parents for childrens parties.
Each set would be in a rubbermaid box (or other more sustainable material) and include: 20 small plates, 20 tumblers, 5 large plates, 5 large bowls, 20 forks, knives & spoons, serving spoons.
This would be loaned to parents for approx $20 per day. It would be returned scraped clean (e.g. of birthday cake) but would then be cleaned at the community centre's dishwasher and restocked in the box. (Many parents do not wish to cleanup after parties even if in their own home and many parties are not held at home.)
Funding for the equipment could be by a charitable foundation/business.
Community Shed
Set up a pilot project of a Community Shed at one of the community centres. Annual membership of $10 for residents within reasonable distance and a small per day charge per item taken out. Engage local businesses/charitable foundations to fund the equipment such as push lawnmowers, plumbing snake, rakes, buckets, ladders, wheelbarrow, sledge hammers etc. The revenues would be used to maintain & replace equipment over time. It would be a self service/self supporting endeavour.
Support for returnable/refillable mason jar economy
Offer support to local suppliers of jams, preserves, oils, pickles, honey, soups, sauces & juices to put their product in returnable, deposit, glass containers.
Work with local enterprises & charitable grants in setting up a central plant to sterilize and repackage glass mason jars and bottles.
Suppliers would agree on a standard for generic mason jars/bottles (e.g. 10 different sizes) that could be interchangable.
Customers would return the empty jars/bottles to the shop/farmers market they purchased it (or other locations) in the same way Avalon Dairy bottles are returned.
They would be collected and taken to this facility for sterilizing and shipped to /picked up by suppliers for refill.
There is a lot of work to be done is this area with regards to health/food safety and weight/labelling regulations. Additionally, the dynamics of movement of the jars and the financial cost effectiveness of refilling these jars verses crushing single use jars & buying virgin glass jars would have to be analyzed.
It appears that the existing system of 'recycling' single use glass containers makes more financial sense at this time. This may not always be the case.
I would like to see the City work with partners to provide a business case on he pros and cons of implementing a local returnable refillable glass jar/bottle economy based on both economic costs and costs to the enviroment/society.
Plastic Bags
In China, the government banned plastic bags in grocery stores. Granted, most of the groceries people buy are from local markets (where plastic bags are still used), but this is a step in the right direction. Life goes on, people accept this change and take re-usable bags with them. (I'm not completely in favour of communism in practice).
In Vancouver, a good strategy (with advance warning so people get used to the idea) is:
Stage One - ban plastic bags in grocery and food stores.
Stage Two - Ban plastic bags in all of Vancouver.
Encourage reusable container/bag businesses
Work with Business Improvement Associations to encourage the use of businesses that could offer service for takeout containers and shopping bags. The containers could be taken by the customer at one restaurant/store (for a deposit) but returned to another participating one (like milk bottles).
Encourage reusable container/bag businesses
Work with Business Improvement Associations to encourage the use of businesses that could offer service for takeout containers and shopping bags. The containers could be taken by the customer at one restaurant/store (for a deposit) but returned to another participating one (like milk bottles).
Make business waste disposal expensive
To compliment better resources and services for reducing, reusing and recycling, businesses should be highly taxed for waste disposal (first x amount discounted) as an incentive to seek other options. This could help fund the alternatives while they are being expanded.
Promote the use of on-site commercial composting equipment
There is technology available for restaurants, hotels, commercial buildings, and grocery stores to compost their food waste on-site in small contained vessels which reduces the mass and volume from 70% to 90%. Food scraps are 70% water - why would we want to ship water when we can get rid of it at the source, reduce the cost and carbon emissions from transportation and create nutrient rich compost? This technology and strategy should be further investigated and advocated by the city. It is a decentralized private sector solution with economic and environmental benefits.
Coffee Cups
I would like to see paper coffee cups banned in cafes, or at least have a surcharge if customers don't have a travel mug or aren't drinking in. They litter our streets, can be found on top of newspaper stands and mail boxes. Coffee shops should have to use real cups inside and should offer that as the first option before just going for the paper cups.
There is currently no viable composting solution for PLA lined cups, and no standards with regards to what composting facilities will take in terms of biodegradable dishware.
Allocate space to drop off reusable items at waste facilities
One of the least used but most effective ways to dramatically increase reuse is to provide a 15 x 15 foot traffic pullout area at all recycling, transfer, and waste disposal facilities where people can drop off items that they no longer want (and are prepared to throw away) but believe that someone else might be able to use. The kiosks would be staffed by independent third parties who would accept or refuse the items and then sell the accepted ones through retail channels such as Valu Village or Habitat for Humanity.
Jurisdictions like Seattle and Berkeley, California have dramatically increased waste diversion rates by making it super convenient for people to drop off reusable items. The average used building material supply store in North America generates average revenues of $300,000 per year but in places where there are convenient dropoff locations, those revenues increase to about $2.5 million.
The City of Vancouver would only need to allocate space for a dropoff area, all other costs for staffing and managing the kiosks would be borne by external parties. The kiosks work best when situated just before the tipping scales so that people can avoid the tipping fee for their donated items.