2023.IE9.3

Background

New updates have been proposed to assist the city reduce waste through “mandatory activities by a retail business establishment operator” as a part of the “new Single-Use and Takeaway Items Bylaw (SUTI Bylaw).” These activities include: “confirm a customer needs a single-use accessory food item prior to distribution; confirm a customer needs a paper shopping bags prior to distribution; charge customers a minimum amount for a reusable shopping bag, with the minimum amount to increase one year following the proposed SUTI Bylaw comes into force; accept the use of reusable shopping bags by a customer; confirm a customer needs a single-use beverage cup prior to distribution; and accept the use of a reusable beverage cup by a customer.” In addition, this report discusses “the Circular Food Innovators Fund (CFIF),” which is a proposed program “to incentivize businesses to reduce single-use and takeaway items” and “implement reuse systems” that reduce the amount of single-use items used.

Source: City of Toronto

Item Description

This policy discusses the various initiatives to reduce single-use and takeaway items in retail businesses within the city. Some initiatives include the “Ask First/By Request policy,” “acceptance of reusable food containers provided by a customer at retail business establishments; and requirements for retail business establishment operators to use reusable food containers and beverage cups in their dine-in operations in Toronto,” and “educational outreach (...) to provide health guidelines and information material to support retail business establishments to operationalize and meet the by-law requirement to accept reusable cups, before the by-law comes into force.” This policy also discusses how council has requested the General Manager, Solid Waste Management Services to provide them with future updates on recommendations to the city’s strategy to reduce single-use waste.

Source: City of Toronto

Proposed by

Infrastructure and Environment Committee