A number of organizations asked the City of Campbell River to consider a ban on single-use plastic bags last fall.
This weekend, they’re collaborating to hold Getting Beyond Single Use Plastic on Saturday afternoon. The event is organized by the Council of Canadians – Campbell River chapter, Campbell River Environmental Committee, Sierra Club – Quadra Island chapter and Citizens for Quality Health Care.
“It was the four groups that signed the letter to the city,” says Richard Hagensen of the local Council of Canadians chapter.
At present, 14 B.C. communities have either banned single-use plastic bags and, in some cases, other single-use plastic, or are in the process of doing so.
“The message we’re trying to give out is basically move away from plastics,” he says.
The City of Campbell River asked staff to learn what other communities are doing and prepare a report.
“They also want to take some time and poll the local businesses to see what the impacts would be and what their plans are,” he says.
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The organizations are concerned by what they see as the planet choking on plastic, so they wanted to organize something this weekend, in part because of other environmental event.
“It sort of follows up with Earth Week,” says Joanne Banks, also of the Council of Canadians.
The two had approached the city before about banning bottled water at city facilities and events.
Hagensen also recently conducted a walkabout of a couple of blocks around their home and found about 20 single-use plastic bags discarded, as well as various plastic items and other garbage.
“He sort of documented what he picked up,” Banks says.
“It’s near a creek too that feeds an ocean,” Hagensen adds.
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The Getting Beyond Single Use Plastic event takes place at the Campbell River branch of the Vancouver Island Regional Library at 124o Shoppers Row, from 1 to 4 p.m. on April 27.
“One of our members is doing plastic fashion,” Banks says. “She’s going to be making something out of all plastics.”
The event will feature displays, including alternatives to plastic, prizes and a couple of films, including an episode from CBC’s Marketplace on supermarket use of plastic bags and packaging and another short film looking at the annual Earth Day beach clean-up on Quadra, which is again scheduled for this weekend on Sunday, April 28 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., with the headquarters for the event at Rebecca Spit.
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For more information on Getting Beyond Single Use Plastic, email surfdust@telus.net or call 250-286-3019.