When the provincial government introduced new recycling regulations in May, Burnaby businesses were up in arms over increased costs they’d have to pay for the environmental disposal of their packaging.
But four months into Multi-Material B.C.’s implementation and it’s all quiet on the western front.
“It’s interesting because in truth, prior to the MMBC being introduced … we were very active in advocating on behalf of the smaller businesses for whom we thought that the program was going to be overly burdensome,” said Burnaby Board of Trade president and CEO Paul Holden.
“Most of our members are small- to medium-sized organizations, and for most of them, the MMBC had little or no impact when it came in.”
The new regulations shifted the responsibility for paying for recycling packaging and other paper products from consumers to the products’ producers. Prior to the May 19 start date, sectors like agriculture, newspaper publishing and landscaping were involved with the Rethink It! B.C. campaign, which called on the provincial government to take a harder look at the regulations.
While those sectors are still affected by the rules, Holden noted concerns raised by groups like the BBOT prompted changes to the program that exempted more than 95 per cent of B.C. businesses from the regulations.
“In truth, we haven’t had any members approaching us with any concerns about MMBC since it came in,” he said. “I know that there are still some industries which I believe are still trying to advocate on their own members’ behalf, but from our point of view, it ultimately affected a much smaller percentage of organizations.”
Holden said the BBOT has not been in talks with the provincial government since the MMBC program came into effect, and clarified the board was never against the improvements to recycling in B.C., but rather the impact it was expected to have on small businesses at the time.
“As an organization, we don’t have any issues with trying to help businesses to become more environmental and to increase recycling,” he said, referencing the board’s recent sustainability pledge.
Holden added the board periodically requests feedback from local businesses on issues like the MMBC program, and if it were to become a hot button issue again, the board would advocate on their behalf.
