The proposed Blue Box…

The proposed Blue Box Regulations do not go far enough to achieve a meaningful decrease in waste. This plan lacks ambition in the following areas:

- Timeline: We need a plan that sets targets beyond 2030 with steady, meaningful increases over time.

- Designated materials: We need a plan to address compostable plastics! These materials are gaining in popularity along with the false claims of recyclability that come along with them. Compostable plastics are currently treated as trash, and producers need to be forced to acknowledge this. Also, broad material categories create loopholes that allow producers to focus on the recycling of an easy-to-recycle material while making no effort to curb the use of harder-to-recycle complex plastics. We can't let producers off the hook this easily.

- Targets: The current targets lack ambition. By the logic of this program, if in 2030 60% of flexible plastics and 40% of rigid plastics are going to LANDFILL, the program is still considered a success. This is unacceptable.

- Sector: We need a plan to dramatically curb waste from commercial, industrial and institutional sources. By only applying to the residential sector, we are leaving two-thirds of our waste unaccounted for. We need bold action across all land-use sectors.

- Reporting: The program needs detailed, annual reports that are publicly available. By only committing to third-party audits every 3 years, we will only have 2 reports to go off of for the duration of this 10-year program. This is not enough to make changes and course corrections to ensure the targets are achieved.

Overall: Let's go back to the drawing board - we NEED to do better. I want to see ambitious targets that give me faith in the future for my children and grandchildren. We need a path to zero-waste and we won't get there with the current plan.