On September 10, 2008 the City of Toronto hosted a one-day forum designed to bring together public sector, Environmental Non-Governmental Organizations and business stakeholders to discuss source reduction of packaging – with a particular focus on packaging applied at the point of purchase.

Guest Speakers included representatives from the Packaging Association of Canada, Canadian Council of Grocery Distributors, Stewardship Ontario, Association of Municipal Recycling Coordinators, Association of Municipalities of Ontario, Guelph Food and Technology Centre, Ministry of the Environment, Environment and Plastics Industry Council, as well as business representatives and municipal representatives from the cities of Los Angeles, Seattle, London and Ann Arbor. Mayor Miller, Councillor De Baeremaeker and Toronto’s Solid Waste Management and Legal Services staff also addressed the Forum.

Click here for a full Agenda (PDF), Speakers List, including a short biography (PDF), list of forum attendees (PDF) and forum summary notes (PDF).

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Opening Presentation

• Waste reduction and 3Rs goals for Toronto – Geoff Rathbone, General Manager of Solid Waste Management Services, City of Toronto

Voluntary vs. Regulatory approaches to waste reduction

• Should municipalities drive source reduction of waste through taxes, fees and material bans?
• Can effective source reduction behaviour be achieved through education and promotion?
  • Jim Downham – Packaging Association of Canada
  • Kim McKinnon – Canadian Council of Grocery Distributors
  • Guy Perry - Manager Technical Services, Stewardship Ontario
  • Phil Zigby – Association of Municipal Recycling Coordinators

Perspectives on Stakeholder Responsibilities

• What role should government play in waste reduction?
• Public and private sector responsibilities.
  • Milena Avramovic – Association of Municipalities of Ontario
  • Karen Leacock-Bingham – Project Manager, Food Safety and Quality, Guelph Food Technology Centre
  • Lisa Mychajluk - Senior Policy Coordinator, Waste Policy Branch, MOE (to be posted)
  • Michael Pacholok – Solicitor, Municipal Law, City of Toronto

International examples of packaging regulation

• Case studies of targeted packaging from Ireland, Australia and Asia.
  • Maria Kelleher, Kelleher Environmental

Case Studies of Return to Retail and Take-it-Back

• Examples of successful return-to-retail waste reduction and diversion.
  • Paul Berto – Home Depot of Canada, Return to retail program for compact fluorescent light bulbs and MHSW
  • Joe Hruska – Environment and Plastics Industry Council on retail and industry led source reduction of plastic bags
  • George Reimer – City of Ottawa Take-it-Back program

Regulatory approaches to drive waste reduction

• Municipal programs designed to drive source reduction behaviour.
  • Ruth Abbe – HDR Engineering, Inc. on research for the City of Los Angeles
  • Tim Croll – City of Seattle Green Fee and EPS Foam Ban
    • Presentation
    • Report: Alternatives to Disposable Shopping Bag and Food Service Items, Volume I
  • Jay Stanford – City of London, single-use bottled water procurement policy
  • Bryan C. Weinert – City of Ann Arbor Michigan plastic bag ban
    • Speaking Notes
    • Draft Ordinance

Contact Information

Nancy Martins
Public Consultation Unit
City of Toronto
Metro Hall, 19th Floor
55 John St Toronto, ON M5V 3C6
T el: 416-392-4390
Fax: 416-392-2974
TTY: 416-397-0831
Email: nmartin@toronto.ca