A single-use disposable product reduction strategy will be examined by City of Powell River.
At its meeting on Thursday, June 20, council carried a motion that staff be directed to work with qathet Regional District’s Let’s Talk Trash team on the creation of a single-use disposable product reduction strategy for the city, and report to city council at a future meeting. The recommendation came from the city’s sustainability committee.
Council was also presented a series of letters from children, requesting that the mayor and council, member of parliament and provincial and federal governments ban single-use products for the good of the environment.
In introducing the motion, councillor Rob Southcott said it connects to a resolution that was presented at the recent Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities convention in Powell River, which will be proceeding to the Union of British Columbia Municipalities convention later this year. He said the motion was looking at a request to see what can be done with single-use plastic items.
“It’s a great push in society now to try and eliminate single-use plastics,” said Southcott. “There are a lot of alternatives.”
He said there is a destructive effect when plastics are let free into the environment.
The city’s sustainability committee is hoping council will agree and have staff work toward figuring out what can be done, said Southcott.
Councillor Jim Palm said he was looking through the letters that had been sent to council from students and one grabbed his attention in particular, featuring a picture of a dolphin coming out of the water. The letter read: Dear mayor Formosa, can you please stop this nonsense with these plastic bags? Because my favourite animal is a dolphin and I prefer if my favourite animals are safe.
“That’s pretty good,” said Palm.
