Chilliwack – The City of Chilliwack is developing a Single-Use Item Reduction Strategy, and wants to hear from you. Despite their convenience, single-use items have become a significant source of litter in Chilliwack, increasing cleanup costs and the amount of waste sent to the landfill. More importantly, when disposed of improperly, single-use items can pose risks to community, wildlife and environmental health.
Feedback from the community, including current practices and barriers to change facing residents, businesses and organizations, will help shape strategy development in 2020. The goal is to reduce single-use items, while ensuring accessibility and inclusion.
An online survey at chilliwack.com/singleuse is available until December 20 for all community members to share their thoughts on single-use items.
“Council recognizes the importance of reducing single-use items,” said Mayor Popove. “Litter continues to be a problem in Chilliwack and we’re looking forward to working with residents and businesses to develop solutions that benefit us all.”
When disposed of inappropriately, single-use items can take hundreds of years to decompose, and even items that are properly recycled still require water and energy resources to be produced. Single-use items the City will look at reduction strategies for include shopping bags, hot and cold drink cups, take-out containers, straws and utensils.
