a City of Toronto Bylaws Regulations aimed at clamping down on the number of single-use and take-home items ending up at waste transfer points are currently in place.
There are three notable changes to the ordinance that went into effect on March 1:
- Desired Distribution of Disposable Items, Paper Shopping Bags: If the customer would like disposable items, paper shopping bags, staff should ask the customer if they require them before distribution.
- Use of reusable items: Businesses will require customers to use reusable shopping bags and reusable drinking cups.
- New standards for single-use paper shopping bags: Bags provided by businesses must comply with the City of Toronto’s Waste Segregation Program standards and cannot have metal grommets or plastic handles.
Annette Sinowiec, director of policy, planning and extension for the city’s Solid Waste Management Services, said the ordinance is aimed at changing the behavior of customers and businesses.
“We want to make sure we reduce waste as much as possible to make Toronto a zero waste city,” she told City News.
Sarah Terpstra, who co-owns and operates Alimentari Italian Grocery on Roncesvalles Street, said she and her team are trying to find ways to reduce their environmental footprint.
“It’s very unfortunate that we have to be told to do these because I think it makes sense. We’ve been doing this since we opened seven years ago,” she said. .
“Our customers are running away from home to take food home with them, and they’re much more comfortable using real forks and knives. So when we ask, they often get a ‘no’.” will be done. ”
Terpstra said that despite wanting to reduce waste, some items still need to be packaged in single-use packaging or containers.
“We need more counter space and more staff to serve everything to order,” she said.
“We tried to find a balance in packaging some products with convenience and quickness in mind to maintain ease of shopping.”
volunteer members of Roncy ReduceGrassroots environmental organizations are talking to business owners on Calle Roncesvalles to promote the benefits of waste reduction and encourage them to bring their own reusable cups and containers.
“We started it in the first place because we thought about how dangerous plastic pollution is and how dangerous it is to our health,” Debbie Green told City News.
“Think about the positives, and think about the long-term positives, too, right? We all suffer from plastic pollution, trash, and disposable products that are wasteful, expensive, and pollute the environment.”
Regarding the new ordinance, City News asked Sinowiec about enforcement and whether businesses can expect tickets.She said education is her main focus
“Ultimately, we hope that code compliance will result in waste reduction,” he said, explaining that code officials will work with business owners to explain how they can meet the requirements.
“From there, we want to work with them to achieve compliance with the ordinance, rather than immediately imposing fines.”
Sinowiec said continued violations of Toronto bylaws could result in fines starting at $500. He pointed out that enforcement would not be primarily driven by complaints from residents, but rather proactively lobbying businesses.
The next stage of the bylaw could impose additional restrictions on large events, but possible measures still need to be consulted.
Julie Kwisinski, director of Ontario for the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, said her organization was included in the consultation on the bylaw that first began in 2018. She said she was glad the original idea to include the fee was rescinded, and she said she appreciates the intent of the ordinance. , But there are also potential concerns.
“I don’t think the jury will get involved in the execution until they know exactly how everything is going to play out,” Kwiczynski said.
“I’m a little concerned about the specificity of the rules.”
She called on the City of Toronto to step up communication efforts and increase direct outreach to ensure all small business owners and employees are aware of the bylaw.
Kwiczynski also suggested that state governments could play a greater role in harmonizing environmental protections among different municipalities, while respecting “municipal autonomy.”
Meanwhile, Terpstra sent a message to other business owners who may be having difficulty adjusting their packaging and processing.
“At the end of the day, I think it saves you money…the less packaging we use, the better your business is,” she said while offering to speak to the operator. .
“I think the real challenge is just changing the shopping habits of customers, so I think it takes time to have those conversations with customers.”
