Rethinking Waste - Zero Waste BC
By Joslin Jose, WE-CAN with Avi Dolgin
Zero Waste BC is a volunteer-run nonprofit that has been at the forefront of promoting waste reduction, stronger Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) programs, and sustainable alternatives to waste-to-energy incineration since 2008. Through advocacy, research, and community engagement, the team is helping communities across BC embrace zero-waste and circular economy solutions.
It’s the 21st century. As high-rise buildings replace tall oak trees and consumption levels have surged beyond sustainable limits, waste management has quietly slipped into the background. In the rush of urban life—cars honking, deadlines looming—waste segregation and responsible disposal often fall to the bottom of our to-do lists.
The rise of single-use plastics and fast fashion has created a waste crisis that looms large—an elephant in the room for environmentalists and urban planners alike. While terms like zero waste and circular economy are gaining traction, their complexity often leaves everyday people reverting to familiar, outdated systems.
But in the middle of this challenge, one team offers a variety of strategies. Drawing from practical ideas—like hosting Zero Waste pitch nights or choosing to buy packaging-free items—the team has created a Municipal Toolkit grounded in real-life examples and practical tips. Through this toolkit, they’re helping individuals and communities across BC shift toward a truly zero-waste lifestyle.
Today, let’s get to know this team better, Zero Waste BC!
ZERO WASTE BC
Founded in 2008 to support Zero Waste strategies instead of Waste-to-Energy projects , Zero Waste BC is a nonprofit that champions sustainable waste practices across the province.
The organization helps shape Metro Vancouver’s waste plans, promotes zero waste strategies to manage waste better, and supports a provincial Circular Economy Strategy. They also take part in provincial and federal consultations, including programs that make companies responsible for their waste products through Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), and they work closely with other environmental groups to bring a zero-waste perspective to climate and policy discussions.
STRENGTHENING EPR INITIATIVES
Zero Waste BC actively promotes EPR programs across British Columbia. The organization regularly submits feedback on federal and provincial consultations for current and proposed EPR plans—recent examples include responses to the Draft Canadian Battery program plan, and the Draft Thermostat Recovery Program Plan for 2025. They also host public sessions to gather community input, ensuring residents have a voice in shaping these initiatives.
“We also urge the province to update the Recycling Regulation,” says Sue Maxwell, a sustainability consultant and Chair of Zero Waste BC, “We want to include support for reuse, repair, litter cleanup, and other waste solutions—things already happening in other jurisdictions.”
Sue adds, “We’re building an EPR database with help from student researchers. It will be a toolkit to track and compare EPR programs over time.”
“We work with groups like members of the BC Product Stewardship Council,” she continues, “to create a space where regional partners can share knowledge and build stronger, more effective EPR systems across the province.”
ADVOCATING FOR BETTER SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT
Sue explains, “We got involved when Metro Vancouver last updated its solid waste plan. Many of us were excited for a stronger zero-waste focus—only to find the plan could have included building up to six new incinerators. That’s not what zero waste means.”
She adds, “We advocate for a BC Circular Economy Strategy based on zero waste and circular economy principles—a commitment BC made in 2022 in the Clean BC Roadmap after resolutions passed by the Union of BC Municipalities.”
They helped develop the Zero Waste Agenda for BC report, alongside the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, which highlights key priorities for a sustainable Zero Waste future.
A VOICE AGAINST WASTE TO ENERGY PLANTS
Zero Waste BC’s experts studied Metro Vancouver’s waste-to-energy (WtE) plant and found it to be the most polluting and costly way to manage waste compared to circular economy alternatives.
Using this research, they submitted formal feedback during a recent review of the plant’s operating permit. Working with groups like WE-CAN, the Wilderness Committee, and other grassroots organizations, Zero Waste BC is creating new ways to share these findings and raise public awareness about the plant’s environmental and health risks.
The team also sits on technical advisory committees that monitor solid waste management plans in Metro Vancouver and the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Sue explains, “As a volunteer-run group, we work closely with other environmental organizations like Zero Waste Canada, Environmental Defence, Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE), and local groups such as For Our Kids Burnaby and Force of Nature Burnaby.”
Together, they issued a joint press release, which received coverage from CBC News and several local newspapers on 26th February 2025. More recently, on July 7, 2025, the team released another statement highlighting the health impacts of toxic dioxins and heavy metals detected near the Metro Vancouver Incinerator. They also co-hosted a Connect the Dots event on August 27th, 2025, in Burnaby.
In anticipation of the provincial Circular Economy Strategy, the team consulted with elected local government leaders, First Nations, and environmental groups to gather their priorities. They put these insights into a “What We Heard” report, which was presented to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change.
MOVING FORWARD
Looking ahead, Sue and her team plan to co-host a public session next spring with a professor from Simon Fraser University to raise awareness about plastic pollution and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) policies in BC. They are also preparing to launch their new EPR database.
The team hopes to expand their work into organic waste solutions and to support BC’s shift toward a sustainable, circular economy.
As Sue rightly puts it:
“We need to think of the circular economy and zero waste as key climate solutions, and to look at things systemically—not in silos!”
Resources for further reading:
https://www.zerowastebc.ca/about-us/
To donate: https://www.zerowastebc.ca/donations/donation-form/
Zero waste BC’s petition : www.zerowastebc.ca.
Municipal Toolkit: https://www.zerowastebc.ca/municipal-toolkit/
Zero waste BC’s initiatives: https://www.zerowastebc.ca/about-us/our-work/#Resources
