qathet Regional District (qRD) will enter a one-year partnership with Synergy Foundation for the organization’s $5,000 circular economy accelerator program. The money will be contributed from the qRD waste management service, which will support two businesses in the region to participate in the program, according to Synergy.
At the March 11 regional board meeting, Electoral Area B director Mark Gisborne said $5,000 to the foundation to provide support to two local businesses is not creating a wide enough benefit for the area.
“There’s a lot of things happening naturally in the community,” said Gisborne. “This may be the first request and it could potentially grow from there. I do not support it.”
City of Powell River director Rob Southcott said he supports the initiative. He said it is an essential step toward sustainability.
City director Cindy Elliott said she also supports the initiative.
“Our area is unique to all the participating areas,” said Elliott. “Encouraging a model that others can follow is what this is all about. Gaining access to the experienced folks within the foundation will help those businesses and that is the real draw to the process. Since we’re trying to be local, and trying to be Canadian, it creates better ways to reduce the stuff we ship in and out of our area. It’s a good investment.”
Electoral Area E director Andrew Fall said he was also in support of the expenditure. He said the motion before the regional board was $5,000 for this year. There is nothing about next year or increases, he added.
“If there is a request for further funding, I would want to see value for it and see what has actually happened,” said Fall. “It’s a good idea to do and we’ll see if this provides a tangible benefit for our regional district.”
Electoral Area D director Sandy McCormick said there are a lot of opportunities for families to reuse and recycle, but there are not a lot of opportunities like this for industry or businesses.
“This is particularly important, because it is going to provide incentives for businesses in our community who are not getting a lot of help,” said McCormick. “It’s going to reduce what we perceive in the way of waste from our businesses.”
Electoral Area A director Jason Lennox said the regional district is going to need results from this expenditure for what is a reasonable investment.
“We are trying to knock down our waste in our area here, so I’m prepared to support it,” he added.
The motion to enter into the partnership with Synergy Foundation carried, with Gisborne opposed.
According to a staff report, the program aims to support local businesses to incorporate waste reduction and circular waste practices into their operations. This aligns with qRD's goals of reducing waste per capita and promoting a circular economy in our region, the report stated. Few waste education programs are directed toward business, commercial and industrial waste producers, and this is an opportunity to increase local education and programs in this area, according to the report.
The contribution of $5,000 would help offset administrative costs the Synergy Foundation experiences while providing service to businesses in the region. Staff understand that the circular waste solutions created will involve outreach and networking with many residents, businesses and industries in the region, the report stated.
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