Vancouver's Single-Use Item Reduction Strategy

Last week, a recommendation to approve the Single-Use Item Reduction Strategy was adopted by Vancouver City Council; an exciting step towards zero-waste for our city.

We are encouraged by the awareness the new strategy has fostered, but disappointed there are not any measures to involve binners at this point. The Single-Use Item Reduction Strategy presented a unique chance for the City of Vancouver to include marginalized populations in policy.

Binners are witnesses of the waste we produce and are keen to see a more robust plan to avoid the massive waste from single-use items. Sorting waste is what they do – it seems like a missed opportunity not to utilize their skills and increase waste diversion.

But, we realize change takes time and are optimistic there will be avenues involving binners in the future zero-waste plans.

This could include a partnership with the proposed city-wide mug share program, or a program where binners help recover poly-coated cups for financial compensation, helping to ensure the materials are properly sorted and recycled.

Binners’ Project has a strong network of mission-aligned businesses that are keen to work with binners to hit diversion targets, whether it's through our back-of-house waste sorting initiative, waste education programs, or more customized approaches.

We welcome people to contact us to discuss how they can work with Binners’ Project in this new chapter of Vancouver's journey to sustainability.

Warmly,
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Anna

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