Port Moody could be moving closer to banning the use of single-use plastics for city businesses.
Mayor Rob Vagramov will introduce a motion at Tuesday’s meeting of council’s committee of the whole, charging staff to formulate a bylaw to ban things like plastic grocery bags, utensils and coffee cup lids.
Vagramov recommends the ban be phased in over three stages, beginning with educating local businesses about the city’s timeline for implementing the ban. That would be followed by a period before the ban takes effect during which fees could be charged to consumers for continuing to use single-use plastics. The funds could then be used to subsidize businesses that are complying ahead of schedule.
In his report, Vagramov admitted such a fee might not be legally possible and the ban may have to be implemented in just two stages.
In a targeted survey of Port Moody businesses conducted in 2019, 65% of respondents said they had no concern about eliminating single-use plastics, but they did worry about increased costs, inconveniencing customers and finding appropriate alternatives.
Last May, Vagramov said it’s important the city signal its intentions so businesses can begin preparing. But several councillors at the time urged caution as owners and shopkeepers struggled to cope with the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic.
In his report, Vagramov said with the recent approval by the provincial Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy of similar initiatives in cities like Victoria, Vancouver, Richmond, Saanich, Tofino and Ucluelet, it’s time for Port Moody to act.
“This has effectively created a framework for local governments to regulate single-use plastics,” he said.
