Banff Town Council passed the Single-Use Items Reduction Bylaw on Feb. 13 with revisions suggested through public input. This is part of a town-wide strategy to reduce the consumer use of items like plastic shopping bags, disposable cutlery and coffee cups that are used once, then sent to landfill.
The Town of Banff strives to be a model environmental community, where everything we do is guided by a goal to protect this special place.
Banff’s goal is to divert 70% of waste from landfill by 2028 and send zero waste to landfill by 2050. The Town of Banff is working to eliminate waste sources and has now created a strategy to reduce single-use items. Single-use items are a highly visible type of waste that is seen and experienced by residents, businesses, and visitors alike.
Single-use items are only used once before they are disposed of. Examples of these items include, among other things, grocery bags, straws, food containers, cups and cutlery.
Many single-use items are plastic or contain some form of plastic; however, it is important to note that the Town uses the word item intentionally to refer to disposable convenience items, which may be made of materials other than plastic but are still single-use.
The Town of Banff has developed a Single-Use Item Reduction Strategy that combines voluntary and regulatory measures that will help reduce single-use items. Taking action to reduce single-use items is one of many ways that the Town can lead by example and have residents and visitors from around the globe participate in waste reduction practices that lessen our impact on the environment.
Guiding Principles of the Single-Use Item Reduction Strategy
- Intentional use of the word items rather than only plastics
- Move away from disposable and avoid unintended consequences
- Focus on to-stay, bring your own, and reusables, NOT disposable items made of alternative materials
- Focus on unnecessary convenience items and what we can control as a municipality
- Integrated approach and made in Banff solution, informed by best practice
Banff’s approach to single use items is tailored to focus on overall reduction of single-use items rather than banning one type of single-use item like plastic. This better suits the unique tourist-based context of Banff and helps us avoid unintended consequences.
A comprehensive online and in-person public engagement process recorded strong support for the Town's single-use item reduction strategy, with a gradual and straightforward implementation and a priority on education over enforcement.
More than 500 people provided feedback in an online survey, and a new Environmental Business Leadership Working Group was formed with single-use items as the first topic for a series of sessions.
An online information webinar drew a smaller audience (13 participants). A planned in-person workshop was cancelled due to a low registration response (five registrants). The lower participation in these two processes may mean that the typical Town of Banff stakeholder is interested in a level of engagement on this topic equivalent to participating in a short survey (10 minutes) but not through a longer online information webinar (60 minutes) or in-person workshop.
Reports
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- Reward and incentivize reuse rather than implementing fees and penalties
| - Development of an incentive program for businesses underway. Update as of March 13, 2023 Council meeting: There is no incentive program at this time.
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- Reusable alternatives should be in place
| - Removed requirement for reusables on takeaway items; shifted focus to leadership/voluntary action for reuse takeaway programs
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To complement voluntary programs and initiatives, the Town of Banff has developed a Single-Use Items Bylaw with regulatory measures to reduce single-use items. The bylaw will provide businesses and residents with clear, consistent practices that make sense in Banff’s unique context.
December 19, 2022: Council passed 1st reading of the bylaw
January 9, 2023: second and third reading deferred to February 13, 2023
February 13, 2023: Council passed 2nd and 3rd reading, formally adopting the bylaw.
Visit banff.ca/SingleUse to learn more about the prosed bylaw and next steps.
Banff Town Council passed the Single-Use Items Reduction Bylaw on Feb. 13 with revisions suggested through public input. This is part of a town-wide strategy to reduce the consumer use of items like plastic shopping bags, disposable cutlery and coffee cups that are used once, then sent to landfill.
The Town of Banff strives to be a model environmental community, where everything we do is guided by a goal to protect this special place.
Banff’s goal is to divert 70% of waste from landfill by 2028 and send zero waste to landfill by 2050. The Town of Banff is working to eliminate waste sources and has now created a strategy to reduce single-use items. Single-use items are a highly visible type of waste that is seen and experienced by residents, businesses, and visitors alike.
Single-use items are only used once before they are disposed of. Examples of these items include, among other things, grocery bags, straws, food containers, cups and cutlery.
Many single-use items are plastic or contain some form of plastic; however, it is important to note that the Town uses the word item intentionally to refer to disposable convenience items, which may be made of materials other than plastic but are still single-use.
The Town of Banff has developed a Single-Use Item Reduction Strategy that combines voluntary and regulatory measures that will help reduce single-use items. Taking action to reduce single-use items is one of many ways that the Town can lead by example and have residents and visitors from around the globe participate in waste reduction practices that lessen our impact on the environment.
Guiding Principles of the Single-Use Item Reduction Strategy
- Intentional use of the word items rather than only plastics
- Move away from disposable and avoid unintended consequences
- Focus on to-stay, bring your own, and reusables, NOT disposable items made of alternative materials
- Focus on unnecessary convenience items and what we can control as a municipality
- Integrated approach and made in Banff solution, informed by best practice
Banff’s approach to single use items is tailored to focus on overall reduction of single-use items rather than banning one type of single-use item like plastic. This better suits the unique tourist-based context of Banff and helps us avoid unintended consequences.
A comprehensive online and in-person public engagement process recorded strong support for the Town's single-use item reduction strategy, with a gradual and straightforward implementation and a priority on education over enforcement.
More than 500 people provided feedback in an online survey, and a new Environmental Business Leadership Working Group was formed with single-use items as the first topic for a series of sessions.
An online information webinar drew a smaller audience (13 participants). A planned in-person workshop was cancelled due to a low registration response (five registrants). The lower participation in these two processes may mean that the typical Town of Banff stakeholder is interested in a level of engagement on this topic equivalent to participating in a short survey (10 minutes) but not through a longer online information webinar (60 minutes) or in-person workshop.
Reports
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
- Reward and incentivize reuse rather than implementing fees and penalties
| - Development of an incentive program for businesses underway. Update as of March 13, 2023 Council meeting: There is no incentive program at this time.
|
- Reusable alternatives should be in place
| - Removed requirement for reusables on takeaway items; shifted focus to leadership/voluntary action for reuse takeaway programs
|
To complement voluntary programs and initiatives, the Town of Banff has developed a Single-Use Items Bylaw with regulatory measures to reduce single-use items. The bylaw will provide businesses and residents with clear, consistent practices that make sense in Banff’s unique context.
December 19, 2022: Council passed 1st reading of the bylaw
January 9, 2023: second and third reading deferred to February 13, 2023
February 13, 2023: Council passed 2nd and 3rd reading, formally adopting the bylaw.
Visit banff.ca/SingleUse to learn more about the prosed bylaw and next steps.
