Prince George City Council engaged in a vigorous discussion this evening (Wednesday) on what to do about single-use plastics in the city and acting Mayor Terri McConnachie had some sage words on the subject.
A waste characterization study conducted for the Regional District of Fraser Fort George in 2018 revealed that plastic waste accounted for 16.88% of the total waste disposed of at the Foothills Boulevard Regional Landfill, making it the second largest primary category after compostable organics. The same report estimated that Prince George uses 14.8 million single-use plastic checkout bags annually.
The Provincial government is anticipated to make an announcement regarding the regulation of plastic waste in BC late this year and McConnachie said Council has decided that it’s best to hold off on any decision until they do so.
“There’s been a lot of work and a really big hubbub around this and they should have an answer or to able to set guidelines for the rest of us in the province by the end of this year. That being said, Council didn’t just want to wait on their hands, they also directed staff to put together a plan of action for community engagement in advance of what we are assuming is going to be that positive guidance from the province.”
She also said there’s no point in setting standards and bylaws here in the city and them being contrary to what the province sets. Nonetheless, she feels it was evident around the table that all Council members felt very enthusiastic not to wait for the education component.
“When it comes to things like this, like climate and action, it seems so massive that it kind of paralyzes us into inaction. But it’s that old adage; how do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.”