Compostable Single-Use Items

Whereas businesses are beginning to switch to compostable single-use items for to-go meals and beverages, yet this material is not designed to biodegrade if littered, and is not guaranteed to biodegrade in industrial compost facilities because standards and certifications are not aligned with existing infrastructure that is designed to compost food scraps and yard waste; And whereas local governments are facing increasing pressure to collect and manage this material, yet it is beyond local governments ability to control compostable packaging design or finance the specialized collection and processing infrastructure required for compostable packaging: Therefore be it resolved that the Provincial Government ensure that compostable packaging including single-use take-out foodware distributed in Canada is designed to fully biodegrade if littered in the natural environment, that standards and certifications for compostable packaging are aligned with composting infrastructure, and that compostable single-use items are collected and managed through an extended producer responsibility program that covers the residential and commercial sectors as well as the public realm.