While BC is a continental leader in composting and recycling, it continues to generate large amounts of unnecessary waste. This report looks at the current state of waste in BC and lays out an agenda for zero waste by 2040.
The report describes the possibilities for upstream, proactive solutions to dramatically reduce the volume of materials that flow through the economy, and therefore also reduce the associated energy consumption and carbon emissions. It focuses on areas with potential for dramatic reductions in waste, including plastics and construction and demolition waste. It also proposes bold policies in support of repair and maintenance can give much longer life to electronics and appliances.
Reducing waste in BC is essential to reduce consumption, create good jobs and fight climate change.
This report updates and extends the 2013 report Closing the Loop: Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Creating Green Jobs through Zero Waste in BC.
Attachments
ccpa-bc_Zero-Waste_2021_summary.pdf
About the authors
Marc Lee is a Senior Economist with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. Marc joined the CCPA’s British Columbia office in 1998, and is one of Canada’s leading progressive commentators on economic and environmental policy issues. From 2009 to 2015, Marc led the CCPA’s Climate Justice Project (CJP), which published a wide range of research on fair and effective approaches to climate action through integrating principles of social justice. Marc continues to write about climate and energy policy, strategies for affordable housing, federal and provincial budgets and macroeconomics. Marc has an MA in Economics from Simon Fraser University and a BA in Economics from the University of Western Ontario. Marc is a past chair of the Progressive Economics Forum, a national network of heterodox economists. He also served as a Visiting Professor at Simon Fraser University’s School of Public Policy in 2024 to 2025.
Belinda Li is a solid waste management consultant.
Sue Maxwell is a sustainability consultant.
Tamara Shulman is a waste reduction planning consultant.
