The Peace River Regional District (PRRD) is asking residents to talk trash as it continues with public consultation on the update of its regional solid waste management plan.
Residents, businesses and industry representatives are invited to attend a virtual open house, fill out a survey, ask questions and offer opinions, says PRRD board chair Brad Sperling. “The PRRD wants all the input we can get as we finish updating the plan in 2021. Effective management of solid waste is a positive for people, businesses and industries in the PRRD. With residents’ help and input, we can create a strong solid waste management plan that addresses local issues and sets out waste reduction goals for the next 15 years.”
Solid waste includes everything that residents, businesses and industries put in their recycling boxes and trash cans, and everything they take to waste transfer stations. It also includes various kinds of waste that are dumped illegally around the PRRD, some of which is hazardous and is a risk to human health and the environment.
“Dealing with solid waste is one of the regional district’s most important functions. Dealing with it effectively is extremely challenging in northern British Columbia due to transportation costs, the lack of markets for recycled items and waste products, and illegal dumping,” says Sperling. “The regional solid waste management plan guides our management of solid waste in the safest and most cost-effective way possible.”
The virtual open houses began last week and continue until May 6. Residents, businesses and industry representatives are encouraged to visit the community engagement portal haveyoursay.prrd.bc.ca to participate in the consultation process. Participants can complete the survey, ask questions and watch a series of project videos.
The provincial Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy requires all regional districts in British Columbia to have a plan for how their solid waste will be managed and reduced.