Plastic cups, Styrofoam takeaway containers and plastic cutlery are just some examples of single-use containers that local advocates are hoping the city will ban.
A movement pushed forward by Ryan Moen, who ran in the 2018 municipal election under the pseudonym RyMo, is picking up traction and currently has dozens of speakers lined up to address councillors at a meeting on Thursday, June 13.
Moen said that while the city has done well to ban plastic bags, more needs to be done.
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“We’re slowly picking away at one industry at a time, and the next thing is the coffee cup,” Moen said. “But that pace of once a year targeting one thing is far slower than climate change, so I thought I’d try to nip it in the bud.”
Moen added that after the plastic bag ban was put in place on July 1, 2018 people easily transitioned to reusable bags, and that Victoria residents would be ready to do the same with takeout containers.
“With that momentum, we should celebrate Victoria on Canada Day, which is why we’ve set a target for July 1,” Moen said. He’s advocating that council signs a bylaw on July 1 to come into effect January 2020.
ALSO READ: Saanich to ban single-use plastic bags by Jan. 1, 2020
Surrounding municipalities are also taking action, including the City of Vancouver, which aims to eliminate plastic straws and Styrofoam takeout containers some time in 2020.
Many youth are on board with the initiative, Moen said, including Antonia Paquin who has been a key figure in organizing the recent youth climate strikes at the B.C. Legislature.
For more information you can visit the event’s Facebook page
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