[BCMA] Province sets single-use plastic requirements

[Moderated BCMA subscriber listserv]

New single-use plastics requirements coming into effect this year

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The Government of British Columbia recently announced the new Single-Use
and Plastic Waste Prevention Regulation, that addresses hard-to-recycle
single-use and plastic items. The regulation will cover items like shopping
bags, disposable food service accessories, certain types of plastic, and
food service packaging made from specific materials.

The goal of this regulation is to prevent plastic waste and pollution and
promote a healthier environment as part of the government's CleanBC
Plastics Action Plan
<https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/environment/waste-management/zero-waste/plastics>.
By focusing on hard-to-recycle items, BC aims to move towards a circular
economy where waste and pollution are minimized, and products and materials
are reused.

The regulation will begin to be enforced in December 2023, allowing a
six-month period to educate the public about the new requirements and
giving businesses time to use up existing inventory.

The province's actions complement efforts by municipalities and the federal
government in Canada to reduce plastic waste. BC's regulation goes beyond
federal measures by limiting the use of various single-use items, promoting
reusable alternatives, and eliminating the use of additional items.
Reusable products produce fewer emissions, consume less water, and generate
less waste and pollution compared to disposable options. Overall, these
actions are part of BC's commitment to addressing climate change and
creating a better future for the next generation through waste reduction
and sustainable practices.

You can find the full provincial new release here
<https://archive.news.gov.bc.ca/releases/news_releases_2020-2024/2023ENV0046-001143.htm>
or head to this page for more comprehensive information on the CleanBC
Plastics Action Plan
<https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/environment/waste-management/zero-waste/plastics>
.

What does this mean for my institution?

If your museum, gallery, heritage site or educational centre has a bistro,
café, or gift shop, this regulation will likely affect you. If you are
offering plastic shopping bags and single-use food service items (drinking
straws, cutlery, stir sticks, plastic takeout containers and other
disposable food service accessories), you will need to look into
alternatives over the next few months. Remaining stock of these items can
be used up but you will not be able to buy after after December 20, 2023.

There are different regulations for different items:

   -

   Plastic checkout bags (including those made from compostable plastics)
   will be banned.
   -

   Paper checkout bags (with a recycled paper content of at least 40%) can
   be provided to customers for a fee.
   -

   All single-use straws, cutlery, stir sticks, ketchup, soy sauce and
   other condiment

sachets, napkins, cold cup lids, cup sleeves, food or beverage trays can
only be provided upon request, meaning you will no longer be allowed to
include these items on trays or in takeout food, or in pre-packaged bundles
by default. Customers may still select them from a self-serve station,
though.

When you are starting to look into alternatives, be aware that starting in
2024, the following items will be phased out:

   -

   Plastic food service packaging such as containers, bowls, plates, trays,
   cartons, film wrap, and cups made from polystyrene foam, PVC or compostable
   plastic.
   -

   So called oxo-degradable plastics
   <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OXO-biodegradation> that are used for
   compostable bags, bin liners, dog waste bags and clothing packaging.


Compostable or biodegradable plastics are not good alternatives for other
types of plastic. Material and energy use to produce these alternative
items are high and they are designed for single use only which does not
alleviate the waste issue and often problematic recycling.

Durable reusable bags and reusable food-service items, including cutlery,
and refillable

or bulk options for condiments are recommended. “Bring your own” campaigns
for travel mugs, food containers, reusable straws and cutlery are becoming
increasingly popular and common-place. They also provide opportunities for
branded food accessories or shopping bags sold in your museum café or
gallery gift shop. Deposit systems for reusable food containers like
Victoria’s Nulla Project <http://thenullaproject.ca/> or Vancouver-based
Sharewares <https://www.sharewares.ca/> will likely become more widely
available (they have already expanded beyond just coffee cups). And signage
to invite your guests to linger for a while and enjoy their food and drinks
from real dishware on-site might provide them with even more time to browse
your gift shop.

More information and resources on sustainability best practices for
businesses can be found here
<https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/environment/waste-management/zero-waste/plastics#actions>
.

Where can I get some help to make those changes?

The BC Museums Association is partnering with our colleagues at the Alberta
Museums Association, Ocean Wise, and representatives from ICOM Canada on a
joint project focused on reducing plastics in museums and cultural heritage
institutions. Our aim is to create a long-term strategy for more
sustainable arts, culture, and heritage sites that looks at institutions’
entire operations - front of house such as visitor services, gift shops and
food outlets but also back of house like collections storage and archives.
At the end of the initial project, we hope to have a complete toolkit that
provides actionable steps to assess your institution’s reliance on plastics
and recommendations for alternative materials. The toolkit will be
integrated with AMA’s Climate Action Toolkit
<https://www.museums.ab.ca/get-involved/climate-action/climate-action-toolkit.aspx>
and other existing resources.

Over the last few months, we have launched a research phase and connected
with pilot sites across the country to start this project. Please stay
tuned on the official announcement for this project and opportunities for
BCMA member sites to get involved.


If you have specific questions about the new provincial requirements coming
into effect or about material use and plastic waste in your institution,
please reach out to the <bcma at museum.bc.ca>BCMA team and we will do our
best to provide you with additional resources and information.


The BC Museums Association office is located on the traditional, unceded
lands of the Lekwungen <https://vimeo.com/275788251> peoples (Songhees and
Xwsepsum Nations). We respect past, present, and future Indigenous stewards
and recognize that we are uninvited guests on this territory.

BC Museums Association || 675 Belleville Street  || Victoria, BC || V8W 9W2

museum.bc.ca <http://www.museum.bc.ca/>
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