As a result of Council adopting the City Solicitor's recommendation at its Nov. 29-30, 2012 meeting, the City has entered into a court-approved agreement with the applicants (Ontario Convenience Store Association and Canadian Plastics Industry Association) who had filed lawsuits in late 2012 against the City of Toronto. Consequently, the Court quashed the June Council decision banning plastic retail shopping bags. Given the situation, it is not necessary for Council to consider and rule on the related bylaw.

In addition, Council directed City staff to bring forward a report to the Public Works and Infrastructure Committee in June 2013 on options for undertaking measures to reduce the use and disposal of plastic bags. Please also note the following:

1. By-law 802-2012 (enacted June 8, 2012) -- that amended Chapter 604 of the Toronto Municipal Code to rescind the plastic bag fee as of July 1, 2012 -- remains in effect. Retail businesses in Toronto no longer need to charge the minimum of five cents for each plastic retail shopping bag requested or taken by customers or need to provide related signage. Now that the City no longer requires Toronto retailers to charge a bag fee, it is entirely up to retailers to decide if they will continue to charge and if so, the amount.

2. The requirement in Section 604-4 of the Toronto Municipal Code -- that prohibits retailers from offering or providing customers with non-compatible plastic bags -- also remains in effect.  Retail businesses in Toronto continue to be prohibited from offering customers plastic bags that are not compatible with the City's Blue Bin recycling program. This prohibition remains in place despite Council's decision to rescind the plastic bag fee and despite Council's lack of consideration of the by-law banning single-use plastic retail shopping bags at its November 27-29, 2012 meeting.

Council direction regarding further work on plastic packaging reduction policies
Council directed staff to defer further work on policies and by-law development related to plastic take-out food containers and hot drink cups until the changes to the Waste Diversion Act, 2002, and the Blue Box Program Plan are announced by the Minister of the Environment, and staff can assess the impact on Toronto's strategy for plastic take-out food containers and hot drink cups. View details regarding 2009 City Council Decision.

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Biodegradable plastic packaging and bags present recycling challenges
The majority of Ontario municipalities, including the City of Toronto, do not want biodegradable plastic packaging, including biodegradable plastic bags, in their recycling or organics programs for a number of reasons. They belong in the garbage. Read further about the challenges biodegradable products present.

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Experts' reports help inform next steps for policy on reduction and recycling of hot drink cups
Independent experts were retained by the City to assist staff and industry members of the Hot Drink Cup Taskforce to understand issues impacting on the goal to reduce and recycle hot drink cups within the framework of Toronto's recycling program. The areas of research included end-markets assessment; processing equipment and material recovery facility (MRF) assessment; and behaviour change. The following reports are now available:
You'll need the free Adobe Acrobat reader to view PDF files.

• AMEC Americas Ltd. - End Markets Assessment Report (PDF)
• Entec Consulting Ltd. - Processing Equipment and MRF Assessment Report (PDF)
• Kelleher Environmental - Behaviour Change Report (PDF)

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Toronto's packaging waste reduction forum
On September 10, 2008 the City of Toronto hosted a forum designed to bring together stakeholders to discuss source reduction of packaging - with a particular focus on packaging applied at the point of purchase.