Maple Ridge city council has taken a step toward banning plastic grocery bags and other single-use plastic items.
At the May 24 council workshop, council directed city hall staff to draft a single-use item reduction bylaw for council consideration.
The motion was brought by Coun. Ahmed Yousef, and included an amendment proposed by Mayor Mike Morden that staff seek input from stakeholders as part of the process.
Director of Engineering Forest Smith advised council the bylaw should be consistent with a “regionally harmonized approach” established by Metro Vancouver. That way, customers and businesses across Lower Mainland cities are dealing with the same regulations.
That approach would ban plastic checkout bags, foam service ware containers, plastic utensils and plastic drinking straws. Plastic utensils would be available only upon request.
If council adopts such a bylaw, it is mandated by the province that shoppers pay a minimum fee of 25 cents for a recycled bag, or $2 for a reusable bag.
READ ALSO: B.C. moves to ban some single-use plastic bags, products province-wide
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Morden expressed frustration that this issue is being driven by individual municipal bylaws, rather than senior government regulation.
“Now here we are having to do this as a municipal government because we believe it’s the right thing to do, but we were hoping that it would have been done from the highest level possible,” said Morden.
Smith told council the first such bylaw in B.C. was done by the City of Victoria in 2018. That was followed by a provincial order July 2021, to allow municipalities to implement their own single-use reduction bylaws. Metro established a regionally harmonized approach in Nov. 2021. Then in December, a federal prohibition on single-use plastics was proposed.
In the Lower Mainland, Vancouver, Delta, Richmond, Surrey and Port Moody have already implemented bylaws. Coquitlam and Burnaby join Maple Ridge are cities considering bylaws.
Coun. Judy Dueck spoke to the importance of consultation with businesses.
“It’s obvious this is where we need to go,” she said. “Walmart is already being proactive – you cannot get a bag at Walmart, so you better remember to bring one.”
Yousef said he has served on the climate action committee at Metro Vancouver, and sees Maple Ridge as dragging its feet.
“Quite literally Maple Ridge has fallen behind the eight ball on this, while we were previously and historically an environmental leader in the region,” said Yousef. “We have come full circle, and now lag behind many of our municipal neighours who have already implemented such bans.”
He spoke against the need for more consultation before passing a bylaw, saying Metro has already received input from stakeholders in the region.
Yousef noted many local businesses use compostable and recyclable materials in their carry-out containers.
“So I’m very pleased with what I’ve already seen on the ground,” said Yousef, adding the city needs to catch up with the region, and local businesses.
Coun. Ryan Svendsen had questions about enforcement, and whether the city would be “sending our bylaw officers out to grocery stores, or maybe they go to a fast food restaurant and order a poutine and see if they throw a fork in there if they don’t ask?”
Smith answered the city approach would be informational campaigns, and likely complaint-based enforcement.
Svensen took exception to Yousef’s comments that Maple Ridge is behind in the region, noting those cities which have bylaws generally passed them recently – in the fall of 2021 or this year. In Metro, Maple Ridge is middle of the pack, he said.
Smith noted single-use cups are regulated in Vancouver, but the province hasn’t allowed such restrictions in most municipalities.
READ ALSO: Tofino first in B.C. to ban single-use plastic cutlery
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