CFAX reports on the CRD decision.....

C.R.D. WILL NOT BAN PLASTIC SHOPPING BAGS

May 28, 2008

THE CAPITAL REGIONAL DISTRICT ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE HAS DECIDED THAT NO ACTION IS NEEDED TO RESTRICT THE USE OR DISPOSAL OF PLASTIC SHOPPING BAGS.

AND, THE COMMITTEE DECIDED IT WOULD NOT BE WORTH THE COST TO COLLECT PLASTIC BAGS AS PART OF THE BLUE BOX PROGRAM.

"TO DO SOMETHING SYMBOLICALLY AT A COST OF A HALF-MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR ISN'T JUSTIFIABLE WHEN WE'RE DIVERTING JUST ONE PERCENT OF THE WASTE FROM THE WASTE STREAM," SAYS COMMITTEE CHAIR SUSAN BRICE.

BUT BRICE SAYS ONCE THE CURRENT CONTRACT WITH THE PICKUP COMPANY LAPSES IN 2012, MORE MATERIALS ARE LIKELY TO BE ADDED TO THE BLUE BOX LIST.

"THE PROGRAM THAT WE HAVE AT THIS POINT WAS NOT DESIGNED TO HANDLE THAT THIN PLASTIC SUBSTANCE," SAYS BRICE.

"I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT AS WE ADVANCE INTO THE NEXT ROUND OF NEGOTIATIONS THAT THERE WILL BE MORE PRODUCTS PICKED UP BY THE RECYCLING -- AND UNDOUBTEDLY PLASTIC BAGS, IF THEY'RE STILL IN EXISTENCE AT THAT POINT, WHICH I'M SURE TO SOME EXTENT THEY PROBABLY WILL BE, WILL BE INCLUDED."

SAANICH ACTIVIST LANA POPHAM HAS BEEN LOUD AND CLEAR IN HER DEMAND FOR A PLASTIC BAG BAN, BUT SHE SEEMED TO BE BACKING OFF A BIT AFTER WEDNESDAY'S ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE MEETING.

"THAT'S A LITTLE BIT AGGRESSIVE, MAYBE," SAYS POPHAM. "PUTTING A DEPOSIT ON THAT BAG, SO WHEN YOU DO DECIDE THAT YOU WANT TO USE A PLASTIC SHOPPING BAG, YOU KNOW THAT YOU CAN PAY 25-CENTS AND GET THAT. AND IF YOU BRING IT BACK, YOU'RE GOING TO GET YOUR 25-CENTS -- MAYBE THAT'S A WAY TO HELP US GET THROUGH THIS DECISION-MAKING PROCESS."

IT'S BEEN SUGGESTED THE PROVINCE COULD ORDER THE COMMERCIAL SECTOR TO CHARGE A DEPOSIT ON EACH PLASTIC BAGS GIVEN OUT AT THE TILL.

POPHAM ACCUSES THE REGIONAL GOVERNMENT OF LACKING LEADERSHIP ON THIS ISSUE.

"I STARTED AT THE MUNICIPALITY LEVEL, WENT TO THE C.R.D., GOT THROWN BACK TO THE MUNICIPALITY, BACK AT THE C.R.D., AND NOW WE HAVE TO ASK THE PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT," SAYS POPHAM. "WELL THAT'S FINE, BUT THE AVENUE FOR ASKING THE PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT IS ALSO ABOUT RECYCLING. I AM UNCLEAR WHERE THE REDUCTION FITS INTO THIS. SO MAYBE IT IS GOING TO HAVE TO BE ALL COMMUNITY INITIATIVE."

STILL, POPHAM SAYS THE AMOUNT OF ATTENTION BEING GIVEN TO THIS ISSUE IS HELPING TURN THE TIDE WITH SHOPPERS.

"I THINK IT'S YOUR OBLIGATION TO TAKE A RE-USEABLE BAG [TO THE STORE]," SHE SAYS. "IT'S YOUR CHOICE, BUT I THINK PEOPLE ARE STARTING TO MAKE THAT CHOICE. THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE ARE STARTING TO GET THAT IDEA."

PRESENTLY, THERE ARE MORE THAN 50 LOCATIONS AROUND THE CAPITAL REGION WHERE PLASTIC BAGS CAN BE DROPPED OFF FOR RECYCLING, FREE OF CHARGE -- MOST OF THEM GROCERY STORES.

- IRELAND

Why is it all about recycling? The cost would be minimal if we reduced the problem...

High costs ground plan to recycle grocery bags

Bill Cleverley, Times Colonist

Published: Thursday, May 29, 2008

Plastic bags won't be picked up in Greater Victoria blue boxes any time in the near future.

While collecting the bags in blue boxes is possible, it is expensive and there are potential problems, assistant solid waste manager John Craveiro told the Capital Regional District environment committee yesterday.

Some of the challenges include the bags blowing around neighbourhoods prior to collection and contamination of bags with paper receipts and other contaminants, he said.

CRD staff estimate the net cost of collecting and processing 500 tonnes of bags would be $530,900 a year, while the current total annual net cost of collecting all materials is about $1.3 million.

The committee agreed that including the bags in the blue box program at this point would be too expensive. Instead it is recommending the CRD continue to lobby the province to expand its product stewardship program to include the bags and other soft plastics, increase education campaigns on alternatives to plastic bags and advertising drop-off locations.

There are 55 locations in the CRD, many of them grocery stores, that accept the bags for recycling. The committee agreed plastic bags should be considered for the blue box program when the next contract is issued in 2012.

Saltspring Island director Gary Holman said he was "stunned" by the additional costs to collect the bags.

Craveiro replied that the estimated additional costs come largely from contractors currently picking up recyclables.

"Right now they have maximized the payloads for their trucks. [Plastic bags] are not very much weight but [add] bulkiness. So you're looking about 2 1/2 trucks you'd have to add to their existing truck fleet in order to accommodate this," he said.

Plastic bags have not been considered a huge problem at the Hartland landfill. They make up less than one per cent of the waste there and Canadian litter audits show that plastic bags account for less than 0.5 per cent of household litter. As well, studies show the majority of plastic bags are reused at least once.

Several committee members objected to the wording in the report, which suggested the following the recommendation was a "status quo" option.

"It [the wording 'status quo'] has a sense of inertia and no change," said committee chairwoman Susan Brice, who added the CRD is doing everything from lobbying the province to conducting public education to help foster a reduction in the use of plastic bags.

Saanich Coun. Judy Brownoff said it's the CRD's mandate to regulate and educate.

"I definitely think the education program could be bumped up," she said, adding that more large retailers and stores in shopping centres should get involved in providing alternatives to plastic bags.

"We really do have to wrap it up. It's an environmental issue," she said.

bcleverley@tc.canwest.com

© Times Colonist (Victoria) 2008

Recycling? How about reduction!

CRD: Recycling plastic bags in blue boxes too pricey Bill Cleverley Times Colonist Tuesday, May 27, 2008 It would cost too much -- more than $530,000 a year -- to recycle plastic grocery bags as part of the blue box program, say Capital Regional District staff. The recommendation to the CRD's environment committee not to collect the bags in blue boxes is disappointing to Saanich resident Lana Popham who has been campaigning for months to have the bags banned. "I think it's decision-making at a snail's pace," Popham said. "I feel that I've worked really hard to increase the awareness about the negative impacts of plastic grocery bags in our environment and the key thing is we should be willing to move beyond reliance on them and not enable an ongoing dependence." Popham sees the problem as two-fold. The first is their production wastes oil and the second is that they escape into the environment, causing harm to a variety of species. But CRD staff are recommending the status quo. Instead of collecting the bags in blue boxes, the region should continue to lobby the province to expand programs to have stores collect the bags, the report says. While collecting the bags in blue boxes is doable, it is expensive and there are challenges, "such as the bags blowing around neighbourhoods prior to collection, educating residents in proper preparation, contamination of bags with paper receipts and other contaminants," the report says. Staff estimate the net cost of collecting and processing 500 tonnes of bags is $530,900 a year while the current total annual net cost of collecting all materials is about $1.3 million. The report notes 55 locations in the CRD, many of them grocery stores, accept the bags for recycling. It suggests that if the collection program isn't expanded, plastic bags should be considered for the blue box program when the next contract is issued in 2012. Popham doesn't think costs have to be as high as staff suggest. There's no need for hard tops on blue boxes to prevent plastic bags from blowing around prior to collection. "We do paper in a heavy-duty plastic bag to stop them from blowing around. I don't understand why we don't have the same approach for plastic bags," she said. Plastic bags have not been considered a huge problem at the Hartland landfill. They make up less than one per cent of the waste there and Canadian litter audits show that plastic bags account for less than 0.5 per cent of household litter. As well, the majority of plastic bags are reused at least once. bcleverley@tc.canwest.com © Times Colonist (Victoria) 2008

Panama Flats

Should the “right to farm” outweigh the obligation to farm responsibly?

In Saanich, farming is in the headlines again. The new owners of Panama Flats are in the middle of a controversial fight that involves farming, fill dumping, and ecological risk. Emotions are running high between community members, the Municipality of Saanich and the potential farmers/developers.

How do we as residents make heads or tails out of the information and misinformation coming our way? The best way to do that is to be well informed about what we potentially have to lose.

The new “farm plan” for Panama Flats includes building a berm that – if allowed – will ring the edge of the entire property. The ‘plan’ is to isolate the flats entirely from winter flooding in order to utilize the land for perennial crops, which in my opinion, are unsuited to land that floods every year.

Panama Flats is made up of a soil class called “organic soil”. We are most familiar with them being referred to as “peat soils”. This is in contrast to the mineral soils that are most common on our Island. Our peat lands are very precious and unique. When we look at their history we can understand why. These sensitive and unique soils started their formation just after the glaciers left. Lakes were formed in this area both by glacier melt water and by fingers of the ocean being land locked. . The levels of peat were gradually formed by successions of vegetation continually encroaching on these lakes and being submerged and deprived of oxygen. This is a very slow process and worldwide only constitutes 3% of our landmass.

To responsibly farm in peat soils takes specific management practices. There is a fine balance between destroying the peat system and working responsibly within it. Water plays a key role in this management.

If we look at Panama Flats, we know that over the winter months it lies submerged in water. This water level allows the peat to remain saturated and the structure of the peat bog to remain at a certain level. Previous farming practices of Panama Flats worked within the seasonal patterns of the wet and dry seasons. The Flats were left to submerge during the cold, wet, non-growing season. This allowed a winter habitat for wildlife and migrating birds.

Once the spring came and brought drier conditions, the water was pumped, the wildlife moved on, and suitable crops were planted. Potatoes are a crop that has been traditionally planted in this space. Potatoes are very appropriate for such an agricultural situation. We have lost our potato growing capabilities in Central Saanich for decades due to the threat of the Golden Nematode. In a time when we are thinking of food security, we should not take prime starch growing areas out of production. Potatoes are a crop that stores well over the winter and I think that fits into our long range agricultural planning.

Bringing fill onto an area such as Panama Flats is ecologically and agriculturally irresponsible. The proposed berm would permanently cover the edges of the valued peat soil and threaten its water holding capabilities. The results of this action could cause the peat bog to settle which is of great concern. The extent of the settling would vary but brings with it a new set of worries. There could be an increase in flooding, a need to continually deepen drainage ditches, and the potential to loose the peat layer as it will dry and the mineral soils would begin to make there way up into this unique horizon. Although the traditional farming method of tilling and plowing can cause have some settling results, the winter rejuvenation due to water retention allows for significant peat conservation.

There are many reasons to farm responsibly. There are many reasons to choose different crops for different areas. Blueberries may do well in this location once the topography is drastically changed, but what if they don’t, and what are the impacts of permanently changing the soil and its hydrology? We are left with a scar on a piece of farmland that would be irreparable. The proposal to plant blueberries on Panama Flats may be great on paper…but if you talk to people who have been farming here for years, agrologists who have our soils in their best interest, and community members who value the diversity that this land brings, we will find that the right to farm does not trump the obligation to farm responsibly.

Panama Flats is a unique peat marsh that currently supports a balance between nature’s use of the land and the growing of food-crops. These activities have coexisted in harmony since farmers first arrived here. Undertaking forms of farming that will block nature’s use and fundamentally change the nature of the soil is not a responsible use of provincial ‘right to farm’ legislation.

Lana Popham
Organic Farmer/ Saanich Resident

CFAX Community Awards. Thanks so much CFAX!

Photo courtesy of my friend Chris Smith from SNAP Victoria. Thanks Chris!

Times Colonist - may 3rd, 2008
Community Leader - Runner Up
"Lana Popham is best known for her work banning plastic shopping bags, a campaign called "Think Outside The Bag" as well as her most recent initiative "Go Left For Litter", an attempt to clean up neighbourhoods. She has proven that one person - someone with a level of consciousness around greening our region - can make a significant difference to our community."