Environment committee  Let me start by saying that I'm not an environmental scientist. What I try to deal with at the municipal level is to ensure that the municipality stays within regulation. We intend to do that, but we require the resources in order to make that happen. That was the point of my c

Environment committee  I think it does vary. You know, the regulations themselves, when I've had a look at them myself, depend on a number of different factors. The measurements on whether or not you fit into the category that needs compliance by 2020, or whether or not you fit into the second category

Environment committee  I would have to mirror that answer. I'm not aware.... I'd have to look back in our resolutions for the federation. I'm not prepared to answer that as a position, but certainly I will find the answer and send you directly the position of the FCM.

Environment committee  Thank you for the question. I need to recognize, first of all, that there was an announcement and that a program has been created, the building Canada plan, which embeds significant new infrastructure monies through the Building Canada fund, which will help to address some of the

Environment committee  Thank you for the question. Certainly, we have some experience here in British Columbia. I know that Ontario also has legislation, in fact, that allows for that to happen by eliminating the liability issues with regard to some of the old food that is produced and is perhaps ver

Environment committee  Well, that's correct. There's a standardization across the country. In terms of materials, for instance, I know that in Europe there are more stringent standards in terms of the types of materials that go into the manufacturing stream and into the waste stream. If there are more

Environment committee  I am not. Thank you for asking.

Environment committee  What page are you referencing?

Environment committee  Okay. As the slide mentions, the working group is currently establishing a prevention and diversion policy and guidelines for government. The hope is that, as was described, this amount of waste does not end up there. We're hoping to model this after a number of different jurisdi

Environment committee  No, you are correct. It's not dissimilar to our hopes with wastewater treatment, where general regulations were established and we have to meet certain standards. Now we're dealing with that on a municipal level. It's the same situation here for solid waste. We're hoping that w

Environment committee  Thank you for the question. I think generally I would agree with what you've said. There are instances, I think, where government of whatever order needs to make some very definitive decisions when they see the larger perspective—i.e., that costs to local government are very hi

Environment committee  Thank you so much for the question. At this point in time we're not aware that the federal government is involved with transitioning from a linear economy to a circular economy. This is the first step we are taking, as the National Zero Waste Council, to highlight the fact that

Environment committee  The issue is that we are going through a consultative process with a group of entities right now. I think it might be a bit premature to give exact examples of what it might look like, but we do think the first step is to have a collaborative initiative that includes the federal

Environment committee  Thank you. Mr. Chairman, maybe what I'll do, then, is move right to the end, which is the most important part. Slide 17 is about the federal role. What we hope is that you engage with the National Zero Waste Council; that you develop a Canada-wide strategy to reduce waste; that

Environment committee  Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and good afternoon to you and the committee members. I am honoured to have the opportunity to present to the committee this afternoon. I am the first vice-president of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, and I'm also the vice-chair of the Metro Va