Transition to a circular economy provides opportunities to:
To drive innovation and the growth of a circular economy in Toronto, the City has established a Circular Economy & Innovation Unit within the Solid Waste Management Services Division. The Unit is involved in research and planning as well as incorporating circular economy principles into new programs, policies, procurement and processes. The overarching goal of the unit is to make Toronto the first municipality in Ontario with a circular economy.
The City is a member of the National Zero Waste Council (NZWC) Circular Economy Working Group and a Partner of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation.
A circular economy approach to service delivery challenges the City to rethink how it can provide services to residents based on three core principles:
The City has completed a study on Toronto’s current state of circularity to inform future efforts to advance its circular economy goals. The Baselining for a Circular Toronto Study is one of the first of its kind in Canada and included three phases:
The City has put together a series of case studies to highlight small businesses and organizations in Toronto that are supporting the circular economy by using products and materials to their full potential, reducing the need for more raw materials to be extracted.
Made up of representatives from local businesses and community groups from various sectors across Toronto, the Circular Economy Working Group will support the City in its journey towards becoming the first circular city in Ontario.
The Group will meet periodically throughout the year, and members will have the opportunity to:
The Group is currently full. Please apply if you would like to be considered for future vacancies. New applications will be reviewed following the end of the current Circular Economy working Group membership tenure on December 31, 2021.
Meeting Minutes
Meeting 6: September 24, 2020 (Minutes are being updated and will be posted soon)