Dear Mr. Albrecht: responsible action needed
The following letter has been sent to MP Harold Albrecht – Chair of the Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainability Development:
Dear Mr. Albrecht
Re: Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development – 8th Report (Feb 2015)
“The Management of Municipal Solid Waste and Industrial Materials”
The federal Liberal Minority prepared a scathing but satirical review of the 8th Report of the Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development (Feb 2015) titled, “The Management of Municipal Solid Waste and Industrial Materials”. http://www.parl.gc.ca/Content/
Of course, Canada’s failing grade in solving waste problems is no joke. Local governments collectively spend about $3 BILLION to “manage” waste every year. It’s time for governments to look to the front-end of waste for sustainable solutions.
This federal Report lacks substance and solutions, it promotes outdated schemes to “manage” waste, and it is heavily influenced by incineration lobbyists. Evidence is readily available to prove that incineration destroys resources at huge public expense, while contaminating air, land and water, destroying jobs, and negatively impacting on human health.
The Report draws attention to Peel Region’s HALF-BILLION DOLLAR incinerator plan, which will seek financing from the Federal Green Infrastructure Fund (even though incineration is not “green”). Hopefully, the federal government will find better ways to spend HALF A BILLION DOLLARS.
The Report makes no mention of public money spent on incineration plans in the City of Ottawa, even when an “individual” quoted in the Report was involved in that plan. After seven years of planning the incinerator company is bankrupt, Ottawa must rethink its waste solutions, and taxpayers’ money is gone, including:
– $9.5 MILLION from Sustainable Development Canada;
– $4 MILLION DOLLAR, non-interest loan from the Ontario Ministry of the Environment; and
– $8 MILLION DOLLARS per year from the City of Ottawa.
(“The Next Generation “Waste Circus” Coming to Canada”, Joyce Nelson. Watershed Sentinel. March-April 2010)
(“The Next Generation “Waste Circus” Coming to Canada”, Joyce Nelson. Watershed Sentinel. March-April 2010)
The Report highlights a new project in Edmonton, which only opened in 2014 and is the first plant the company has built. Many questions remain but, like most schemes of mass destruction, it’s not feasible without big government subsidies.
Rather than spend more time and money our governments should support sustainable solutions – programs that eliminate waste, not “manage” it – programs that protect our resources, not destroy them.
Zero Waste is being adopted by jurisdictions, companies and individuals world-wide. Ontario’s majority Liberal government has promised to take prompt, bold action toward Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) solutions.
Sustainable waste solutions require strong political leadership from all levels of government. The federal government, and Canadians, would be further ahead by adopting a Zero Waste Hierarchy, as proposed by Zero Waste International Alliance (ZWIA) (http://zwia.org/standards/
Federal actions need to include: stewardship policies/eco-designs; incentives/penalties; producer/polluter-pay rules and enforcement; standardized programs (i.e. Deposit-Returns – proven to increase diversion rates); phasing out incineration, and modeling Zero Waste in all federal offices.
Our federal government needs to revise Recommendations in this Report and take prompt action to adopt plans to expedite waste reduction in Canada.
Awaiting your reply,
Kelly Clune
Local and regional governments all across Canada have dropped the ball when it comes to Zero Waste. Most have simple poached the Zero Waste brand to waste taxpayer’s dollars to promote “Fake Zero Waste”.
Sadly, EPR, in its current form, is not the solution since so many EPR programs in Canada already include/support incineration.
Zero Waste Canada have adopted the Zero Waste Hierarchy and we encourage every level of government in Canada, federal, provincial, regional, municipal and First Nations to do the same, if Zero Waste is the goal.
Taxpayers should not be paying for something that we are not getting. Knowing how to spell “Zero Waste” does not a Zero Waster make.
http://www.zerowastecanada.ca/zw-hierarchy