Extended Producer Responsibility has big potential (see my last blog). But getting the details right is critical. If programs are designed well, EPR could radically improve how Canada recycles. Done poorly, it could make recycling more complicated and more costly, with few environmental benefits. Where do Canadian EPR programs stand? Here we look at the […]
Recycling appears to be broken in Canada. In 2016, a dismal 9% of our plastic waste was recycled. More recently, recycling programs have struggled since China—the world’s biggest recycler—stopped buying unprocessed plastics, paper, and metals. Some local recycling programs have ground to a halt as a result, while other programs are stockpiling, burning, and landfilling […]
Let’s talk about diapers. Like many new parents, I’m struggling: cloth or disposables? On the one hand, I want to go with the more sustainable choice. But on the other, I’m wondering why I should even have to think about it at all. Why can’t the environmental impacts of cloth and disposable diapers be reflected […]
Canada’s national parks host millions and millions of visitors every year, and entry was free in 2017 as part of Canada 150. As you might expect, people have flocked in record numbers. But national parks belong to the public. Should access always be free? And aren’t more visitors, rather than fewer, a good thing? In […]
Never Waste a Good Crisis: What Can We Learn from California? California’s extreme drought continues to make headlines. No doubt Canada will feel the ripple effects, for example, through potential shocks in our commodity markets. But is there anything we can actually take away from this disaster? Our perception of Canada as a water wealthy […]
When it comes to facing the twin pressures of economic health and environmental sustainability, our cities are where the rubber hits the road. Few people know this better than Mike Harcourt, self-described “sustainability fanatic” and the former Mayor of Vancouver and Premier of British Columbia. As Mike notes, the majority of Canadians live in cities […]