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Mayor Says Plastic Ban Has To Be Provinc

Mayor Says Plastic Ban Has To Be Provincial Program

Apr 1, 2019 | 9:00 AM

Armstrong Mayor Chris Pieper is not convinced by a regional proposal to ban single-use plastics.

Pieper says while officials may be able to limit the use of plastic in certain shops, he says it would be far more difficult for farmers who rely on plastic material for various things.

The North Okanagan Regional District has reached out to the province for assistance as it figures out how to cut the amount of plastic thrown into the local landfill.

“It has to be a provincial initiative,” stressed Pieper. “Some communities are trying to do it on their own but it is very difficult when you look at all of the different plastic bags that we use for everything.

“It can be locally enforced but it has to be a provincial initiative, I think. If the whole province wants to go that way then we can control it.”

Armstrong said he wondered how successful such an initiative would be, considering the use of plastic to throw away plastic, not just to purchase items.

“There are lots of areas in the agricultural world and the disposal world that you have to have different kinds of plastic that come from all over the world.”