Ontario’s 1st Zero Waste Conference was held at Lakehead University in Orillia, Ontario. This successful event was an initiative of Orillia’s Waste Management Advisory
Committee . A taskforce of Committee members combined with community volunteer members developed an effective, action oriented conference.
The two day event brought together a broad cross section of representatives from many business sectors.
These included municipal leaders, health care, automotive, beer, food service, construction and manufacturers.
The conference included 10 speakers combined with extensive workshop sessions. From these sessions attendees agreed to support passage of legislation designed to shift the costs of waste management from municipalities to producers.
There were two commitments which attendees wanted to see taken forward for action. The organizing taskforce issued the following statements to clearly state these outcomes:
1. Deposit Return System for Beverage Containers
“That the province of Ontario immediately mandate a deposit‐return system for beverage containers, as exists in most Canadian Provinces”
2. Recovery System for Disposable Diapers
“That the Province of Ontario establish a system of recovery for disposable diapers to eliminate the current landfilling of this product”
These two statements formed the basis of the Zero Waste Conference call for action
Based on the success of the 1st Zero Waste Conference an independant committee was formed which includes members of the original taskforce and new volunteers to develop a dynamic 2017 conference.
