Strategy for a Circular Toronto

While the City is actively working towards a circular economy, it’s not something we can do on our own. A circular economy involves those who make things, those who buy them, and those who design programs, systems, infrastructure and supply chains. It will require innovation and effective collaboration among government, industry, academia, the not-for-profit sector and the general public as well as a strategy on how to get there.

As a first step toward this strategy, the City studied the current level of circularity in Toronto through the Baselining for a Circular Toronto study. The study proposes a vision for what a circular Toronto could look like, highlights opportunities for advancing the circular economy in key sectors, and provides circular economy goals to guide Toronto’s work and indicators that could be used to measure success. The next step is the development of a Circular Economy Road Map to turn the study’s insights into actions to realize Toronto’s full circular potential.

As part of its journey towards a circular economy, the City has completed a research project called Baselining for a Circular Toronto. Check out the Highlights Summary Document for key findings from the study.

The Baselining for a Circular Toronto project is one of the first of its kind in Canada and explores the current state of circularity in Toronto. The study:

  • proposes a vision for what a Circular Toronto could look like
  • highlights opportunities for advancing the circular economy in key sectors
  • provides circular economy goals that could guide Toronto’s work
  • establishes indicators that could be used to measure success.

Baselining for a Circular Toronto engaged more than 150 key stakeholders, including City staff (from approximately 20 divisions), the public Circular Economy Working Group, other orders of government and government agencies.

The project involved three phases:

  1.  A Landscape Analysis, which assessed the current state of circularity in Toronto and identified three sectors with the greatest potential for circular economy interventions: waste management, construction and the food system. A Landscape Analysis brings together different types of data and information to better understand the current state of circularity and helps to identify where the barriers or opportunities lie in accelerating the circular economy. There is also an appendix with more details.
  2. A Material Flow Analysis and Business as Usual Analysis focused on the three sectors identified in phase 1. A Material Flow Analysis is a way of visualizing how resources are consumed, processed and disposed of in each sector. Material Flow Analysis highlight that waste is a design and consumption problem, not just a processing/resource recovery problem, and help to point out problems in our linear economy where circular economy interventions can make a positive impact. A Business as Usual Analysis is a way to understand what material consumption and waste generation will look like for each key sector 10 years in the future if no action is taken.
  3. A final Full Report and Highlights Summary Document, which outlined the key results of the study, proposed circular goals and indicators, and identified key stakeholders required to move Toronto towards a circular economy.

The proposed vision for a Circular Toronto in the Baselining for a Circular Toronto study is a city with:

  • Regenerative urban food systems that protect and restore natural ecosystems, while preserving soil, air and water quality.
  • More efficient resource management systems where waste from one industry is reused by another.
  • Creative design for the built environment to create long-lasting, adaptable and modular buildings and infrastructure that are easier to maintain and repurpose.
  • An environment that enables emissions reduction by combining the circular economy with other climate strategies.
  • A circular society that connects people, creates jobs and respects the planet.
  • A circular City of Toronto leading the way by engaging, incentivizing, managing, and setting an enabling regulatory framework.

Achieving a Circular Toronto will require more than just analysis. The next step will be to develop a Circular Economy Road Map to turn the study’s insights into actions to realize Toronto’s full circular potential. Collaboration and partnerships between various stakeholders will be key to successful change.

The City launched the Circular Economy Road Map project in early 2024. The project will be completed in four phases.

Phase 1 took place from April to September 2024 and focused on:

  • validating Toronto’s circular economy vision, goals and indicators with the community and industry
  • developing a set of Guiding Principles for subsequent phases of the project, including implementation of the Circular Economy Road Map over the next ten years

Phase 1 was accomplished through comprehensive engagement with interested parties, including Toronto residents, industry subject matter experts, City staff and the project’s Community Advisory Committee. Engagement activities included online surveys, and virtual and in-person workshops.

The Circular Economy Road Map report provides more information about the activities and outcomes of the work completed during Phase 1.

The Community Advisory Committee (CAC) is a panel of community members and residents who were selected through a civic lottery to provide feedback, opinions and guidance to the City on the Road Map project.

The CAC will meet virtually four times over the course of the project to review and provide feedback and input at key decision points throughout the research and development of the Circular Economy Road Map, working closely with the City’s project team and one another. CAC members are compensated with an honorarium for their contribution to the project. The input from CAC members will help ensure that the final Circular Economy Road Map is informed by the diverse lived experiences of Torontonians.

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