Reusable Toronto is an initiative of local organizations, reuse champions, businesses, and community members, convened by the Toronto Environmental Alliance (TEA). Together, we’re working to eliminate harmful disposables and champion a culture of reuse in Toronto through advocacy, policy change, community engagement, and on-the-ground solutions.
Every Torontonian can do their part to choose reusables and to support businesses that are taking steps to reduce single-use foodware. But we can also use our voices to advocate for city-wide changes, such as local regulations and programs that stop the use of unnecessary single-use foodware, promote reusable alternatives for dine-in and take-out, and support local businesses to choose reuse.
Join us and show your support for reuse! By signing up, you’ll receive action alerts, campaign updates, and information about ways you can champion a culture of reuse in Toronto. You can also follow us on Instagram at @reusable.to
THE PROBLEM
Every day, single-use items, designed to be used once and thrown out, end up in our environment, our waterways, and in landfills, especially plastic. This presents a growing waste management crisis, but they also cause harm to the environment and people’s health at every stage, from production to disposal.
Single-use foodware - like disposable food containers, unused (and unwanted) cutlery, and disposable coffee cups - creates tonnes of unnecessary and avoidable waste each year.
THE SOLUTION
To tackle the waste and the plastic crisis, we need to stop producing so many disposable products in the first place. There’s a growing movement across the world to eliminate single-use, disposable foodware and shift to reusable alternatives. Reusable dishes for dining in, and reusable takeaway container programs are some of the real solutions to this ongoing crisis. These solutions benefit people, businesses, and the environment.
NOW IS THE TIME
Other cities and jurisdictions are passing new reuse policies, and Toronto can, too! Right now, we have an opportunity to shift Toronto toward reusables in food services.
Here in our city, we have a growing reuse movement with community groups, businesses and individuals demonstrating local on-the-ground reuse solutions.
In response to public demand, the Federal government banned six single-use plastic items including cutlery, bags and some food containers, starting in December 2023. The status of this ban is unclear due to legal challenges by the plastics industry, but there is ongoing strong public support.
Reusable Toronto
Jul 31, 2024
