Whereas the Province has adopted recycling regulation of the Environmental Management Act; And whereas BCs Industry-led product stewardship programs require producers of designated products to take extended producer responsibility for the life cycle management of their products; Therefore be it resolved that UBCM request that the Province include a regulation for producers of child car seats, mattresses and upholstered furniture ensuring the producers responsibility for the life of the product and reducing local government waste disposal costs, the amount of garbage in landfills and a reduction in illegal dumping.
Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy The Province has heard that both stakeholders and the public want Extended Producer Responsibility EPR programs to collect more materials. Based on the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategys the ministry recent 2019 review of potential products for inclusion under EPR programs which included a product and services gap analysis to identify opportunities for EPR expansion, the ministry has finalized a priority listing of productscategories to be addressed going forward. A Recycling Regulation Policy Intentions Paper IP https:engage.gov.bc.cagovtogetherbcconsultationrecycling-regulation-pol… has been developed and was released on September 12, 2020. Through the priority products identified from the 2019 service gap analysis and the CleanBC Plastics Action Plan released in 2019, the IP has outlined the proposed amendments to the Recycling Regulation. The What We Heard report on the plans engagement is available online. https:cleanbc.gov.bc.caplastics Upholstered furniture and child car seats were not brought forth as a priority by local or Indigenous governments or from a range of stakeholders during our analysis. However, mattresses were identified and are included as part of the proposed amendments. The ministry received substantive feedback from key partners and stakeholders by the November 20, 2020 submission deadline for the IP. This feedback will be summarized and made publicly available by Spring 2021. This will help to inform and develop proposed priorities as part of a five-year plan for amending the Recycling Regulation.