Item - 2015.EX5.21

Tracking Status

  • City Council adopted this item on May 5, 2015 without amendments and without debate.
  • This item was considered by the Executive Committee on April 22, 2015 and adopted without amendment. It will be considered by City Council on May 5, 2015.

EX5.21 - Support for Banning the Use of Microbeads

Decision Type:
ACTION
Status:
Adopted on Consent
Wards:
All

City Council Decision

City Council on May 5, 6 and 7, 2015, adopted the following:

 

1.  City Council support banning the use of microbeads in personal care products and request the Board of Health also support this position.

 

2.  City Council request the Provincial and Federal levels of government to establish legislation to prohibit the use of microbeads in personal care products.

Background Information (Committee)

(March 31, 2015) Letter from Councillor Paul Ainslie on Banning of Microbeads
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2015/ex/bgrd/backgroundfile-78716.pdf

Communications (Committee)

(April 21, 2015) Letter from Darren Praznik, President and CEO, Canadian Cosmetic, Toiletry and Frangrance Association (EX.Supp.EX5.21.1)
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2015/ex/comm/communicationfile-52402.pdf
(April 21, 2015) E-mail from Tyler Doose (EX.Supp.EX5.21.2)
(April 21, 2015) E-mail from Karen Buck (EX.Supp.EX5.21.3)
(April 21, 2015) E-mail from Justine Smith (EX.Supp.EX5.21.4)

Communications (City Council)

(May 1, 2015) Letter from Krista Friesen, Vice President, Sustainability, Canadian Plastics Industry Association (CC.Supp.EX5.21.5)
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2015/cc/comm/communicationfile-52519.pdf

EX5.21 - Support for Banning the Use of Microbeads

Decision Type:
ACTION
Status:
Adopted
Wards:
All

Committee Recommendations

The Executive Committee recommends that:

 

1.  City Council support banning the use of microbeads in personal care products and request the Board of Health also support this position.

 

2.  City of Toronto request the Provincial and Federal levels of government to establish legislation to prohibit the use of microbeads in personal care products.

Origin

(March 31, 2015) Letter from Councillor Paul Ainslie

Summary

The use of microbeads in personal care products cause harm to our environment. Microbeads are plastic and most commonly made from polyethylene, the same type of plastic often used to make plastic shopping bags, milk crates and trash bins.  Small enough to bypass sewage treatment plants the microbeads enter our fresh water Lake system to become food for animal and plant species. A failure to recognize the negative effects of microbeads from further entering the food chain can ultimately cause dangerous health effects in humans and other wildlife.

 

In 2013, a concentration of 1.1 million plastic particles per square kilometer were found in Lake Ontario severely contaminating one of our major water sources, large quantities of microbeads have also been found in the St. Lawrence River. The banning of microbeads is spreading in American States such as Illinois and Michigan.  Most recently the Government of Canada has advised that Environment Canada is studying the dangers plastic microbeads have on wildlife and the environment.  As the largest City in Canada and fourth largest in North America, it would be appropriate for the City of Toronto to recognize the harmful impact of plastic microbeads.

 

The State of Illinois is the first to adopt legislation banning the use of plastic microbeads in personal care products by the end of 2017 with the banning of their use in over the counter drugs by the end of 2018.  The City of Thunder Bay has also recognized the negative effects by taking a lead in supporting a ban on plastic microbeads in Canada.  Major Manufactures have taken notice with Proctor & Gamble, Unilever, Colgate-Palmolive, Johnson & Johnson, The Body Shop, and L'Oreal committing to phase out the use of microbeads in their products.

Background Information

(March 31, 2015) Letter from Councillor Paul Ainslie on Banning of Microbeads
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2015/ex/bgrd/backgroundfile-78716.pdf

Communications

(April 21, 2015) Letter from Darren Praznik, President and CEO, Canadian Cosmetic, Toiletry and Frangrance Association (EX.Supp.EX5.21.1)
https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2015/ex/comm/communicationfile-52402.pdf
(April 21, 2015) E-mail from Tyler Doose (EX.Supp.EX5.21.2)
(April 21, 2015) E-mail from Karen Buck (EX.Supp.EX5.21.3)
(April 21, 2015) E-mail from Justine Smith (EX.Supp.EX5.21.4)

Motions

1 - Motion to Adopt Item moved by Councillor Paul Ainslie (Carried)
Source: Toronto City Clerk at www.toronto.ca/council