Gibsons’ new “zero waste select committee” got down to work this week.
The committee, chaired by Coun. Silas White, has until July 15 to come back with a report on initiatives that could help the Town achieve its zero waste goals, and recommendations to “introduce an organics diversion program, including, but not limited to, changes to the garbage collection service frequency.”
The committee vice-chair is Coun. Jeremy Valeriote, and the other members are drawn from the community. White told Coast Reporter they include the owners of Gibsons Recycling, other business owners and managers, and residents.
White said one of the first orders of business for the committee was to settle on what “zero waste” means, at least in the context of the Town. He said they’ll work with the definition the Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) uses: “Designing and managing products and processes to reduce the volume and toxicity of waste and materials, conserve and recover all resources, and not burn or bury them.”
For White, the work of the committee is, at least in part, an effort to bring the Town in line with some of the things already happening in the community.
“It’s really clear in Gibsons that we have unlimited social and cultural capital in terms of recycling and pursuing zero waste, and the catching up we have to do is really at the policy level,” White said.
“People talk to me about how they barely have any garbage to fill up their garbage can every week because they’re participating so much in recycling and in composting, and yet we don’t really have a lot of initiative compared to other local governments in terms of supporting that behaviour.”
White also said he’s confident the committee will be able to meet its deadline and put forward some solid recommendations.
“If we really hold to the vision of zero waste, there’s going to be multiple levels of recommendations,” he noted. “From what the Town can accomplish in our own operations to supporting or proposing directions at the SCRD … all the way to lobbying the provincial government on certain measures.”
The committee’s meetings are open to the public, and according to White they’ll be less formal than regular council and committee meetings, and allow people who aren’t on the committee a greater chance to participate.
