The Richmond Chamber of Commerce is applauding the province for listening to the B.C. Chamber networks and amending a recycling regulation.
The regulation targets packaging and printed paper (PPP) and is slated to go into force in May.
The B.C. government announced that it will enshrine in regulation an exemption for any B.C. business that meets any of the following criteria:. Annual revenues of less than $1 million;. Less than 1 tonne of packaging and printed paper produced annually and/or;. A single point of retail sale (and not supplied by or operated as part of a franchise, chain or under a banner.) That means that less than 3,000 businesses in the province will be captured by the regulation, out of more than 385,000. "This is a huge relief to our local business community," said Craig Jones, executive director of the Richmond Chamber of Commerce.
"This change exempts the majority of our local businesses, including all of our mom and pop shops, from new costs and red tape."
Jones noted that the Richmond Chamber supports the principle of extended producer responsibility (EPR), which aligns with B.C. business values, but cautioned that EPR programs need to be implemented carefully to avoid unintended consequences. "This exemption correctly balances environmental goals with business needs," Jones said. "We applaud the B.C. government for responding to businesses' concerns and limiting the scope of the program, appropriately, to B.C.'s largest PPP producers."
The Chamber network throughout B.C. raised the alarm about the regulation last summer after businesses across the province were contacted about coming new obligations and fees by Multi Material BC (MMBC), the agency charged with producing a stewardship plan under the regulation.
