WHEREAS the Province of British Columbia has collected environmental levies, in products like batteries and tires for several years: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Union of BC Municipalities lobby the provincial government to provide an accounting of any and all environmental levies collected in British Columbia to date; AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Union of BC Municipalities lobby the provincial government to provide appropriate funding to local government, to be funded from the environmental levies, to establish meaningful and effective recycling programs in local communities.
Ministry of Environment The environmental levies on products such as tires and batteries are collected by the Ministry of Finance MoF and deposited into the Sustainable Environment Fund SEF. Treasury Board determines expenditure and allocation of funds in the SEF. The MoF allocates a portion of the funds to the Ministry of Environment Environmental Protection Division to deliver its mandate. The MoF is responsible for allocating funds from the SEF and is therefore responsible for any re-allocating of funds. The responsibility for end of life product management rests with producers and consumers. In October 2004, the provincial government enacted the Recycling Regulation to facilitate industry-led product stewardship in British Columbia. The regulation requires producers of a product to assume life cycle responsibility for their product, including the financing and management of a recycling program, which will further alleviate pressure on municipal landfills. The provincial government intends to add new products to the Recycling Regulation to improve recycling programs and end of life product management practices in British Columbia.