At a committee meeting on Tuesday, councillors instructed District staff to move quickly on reducing single-use plastic after the BC Supreme Court ruled in favour of Victoria’s plastic bag ban.
The idea to ban plastic bags and straws in Squamish was originally brought up at a council meeting on June 5 after Grade 2 students wrote in with their concerns.
At that meeting, staff raised concerns that a ban could open the District up to a lawsuit, but on June 19 the BC Supreme Court ruled in favour of Victoria’s plastic bag ban. The appeal process for that decision is still open, meaning a final decision could take even longer.
Even so, Mayor Patricia Heintzman said the legal ruling was a confidence boost.
“There’s a catalyzing moment right now to effect change pretty quickly, I don’t think we should put this off,” she said.
Asked by staff for a timeline on the project, Heintzman suggested that a new budget item should be considered if it needs to move quickly. Most councillors were supportive of the idea.
“I was really excited to see this result out, I think the time is right to do this and other communities will follow suit. I’d like to see this as part of the zero-waste strategy sooner than later,” said Coun. Karen Elliott.
Coun. Doug Race agreed but expressed concern about the appeal process for the Victoria bag ban. He also said a “phasing in” will be required and local businesses will need to be consulted on the impacts and timelines.
The original motion proposed by Heintzman included the word “ban” but Elliott suggested for the time being, staff prioritize consultations with the public and business community. The wording in the motion passed Tuesday calls for “bylaws that regulate the use of single-use plastics.”
The motion from the committee will now go to council, but an actual ban or other restriction would take much longer to be approved after consultation.
Coun. Susan Chapelle suggested that one of those groups that need consulting is the disabled community.
A number of people with mobility impairments have raised concerns about the negative impact that plastic straw bans could have on their ability to eat and drink at restaurants.
Chapelle said she is very supportive of an ask-first policy for plastic straws, but said she can’t support a full ban “unless we have a clear understanding of how this will affect people who rely on plastic straws.”
Elliott said that businesses can accommodate those who need plastic straws and council will be sensitive to the issue.
