The Capital Regional District Board voted last Wednesday to look into the possibilities for local governments to ban single-use Styrofoam in their jurisdictions.
Styrofoam is accepted at electoral area recycling depots but is not included in the other CRD communities’ curbside recycling program. The board directed staff to explore the implications of drafting a model bylaw that municipalities and other jurisdictions could adopt to ban the product.
Salt Spring director Gary Holman co-sponsored the motion by Saanich councillor Ned Taylor along with Rebecca Mersereau (also of Saanich).
“We thought it was worthwhile for staff to at least look into the implications. That’s all it is at this point,” Holman said.
An attempt to amend the motion to include plastics narrowly failed as being overly complicated. Holman explained that the City of Victoria’s ban on single-use plastics was overturned by the court as a matter of provincial responsibility. The province is currently undertaking public consultation on what direction to take with plastics.
“One reason the amendment was voted down was to wait and see what they do,” Holman said.