Markham wins national municipal environmental award for its single-use plastics initiative

MARKHAM, ON – May 11, 2021 – The City of Markham, ON has received national recognition for its “Taking the Lead – Markham Targets Single-Use Plastics” initiative from the Canadian Association of Municipal Administrators (CAMA). The City was presented with the 2021 CAMA Environment Award, in the 100,000+ population category, during a Virtual Awards of Excellence Ceremony held today.

“CAMA is pleased to recognize Markham for its new initiative to educate residents about diverting Single-Use Plastics from landfill,” said Jake Rudolph, outgoing president of CAMA and Chief Administrative Officer for the City of Nanaimo, BC. “This project will assist the City to meet the goals set in their larger Waste Diversion Strategy.”

“The City of Markham is honoured to be recognized for our Single-Use Plastics initiative that has greatly reduced the amount of plastics sent to landfill, further advancing and strengthening our sustainability goals and objectives,” said Markham Mayor Frank Scarpitti. “Markham has doubled the amount of Styrofoam recycled since this initiative launched, which stands as a testament to the determination and commitment of residents who want to shape a greener future and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”

“Taking the Lead” – a key initiative of the strategy – outlines a phased plan for Single-Use Plastics reduction and recycling that targets harmful plastics sent to landfill. One of the most common Single-Use Plastics in use is expanded polystyrene foam, also known as Styrofoam. Waste audits performed by Markham indicated a growing volume of Styrofoam packaging in the waste stream. The increasing volumes were determined to be a result of the emerging online shopping trend, leading to the increased home delivery of household products such as appliances, furniture and other consumer items.

This material became the first crucial target for Single-Use Plastics reduction when Markham City Council approved a curbside collection ban of Styrofoam packaging starting in October 2020. Residents are now required to recycle Styrofoam packaging at a Markham Recycling Depot where it is densified and shipped to recycling markets.

Local municipalities play a key role in educating residents and reducing Single-Use Plastics in their communities, and this initiative has shown that local administrators can successfully engage with residents to implement environmental solutions.

“There were 35 submissions from across the country entered in this year’s CAMA Awards of Excellence program,” said Marc Melanson, Chair for the 2021 CAMA Awards Jury, CAMA representative for New Brunswick and City Manager for the City of Dieppe, NB. “The scope of projects, from municipalities both large and small, was impressive and I extend my congratulations to the winners, as well as those who took the time to enter a submission.”

The Environment Award recognizes the commitment of a municipality to environmentally sustainable governance, to protecting the environment and to combating climate change. Awards are granted to programs, projects or services that have made a significant and positive impact on the environment.

To find out more about the City of Markham’s award, as well as the other 2021 CAMA Awards of Excellence winners, visit camacam.ca/awards and look for the award recipients link.

To learn more about the City of Markham’s recycling program, visit markham.ca/recycling and click on the Single-Use Plastics link.

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Markham Mayor Frank Scarpitti's Office:
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About Markham: Markham, an award-winning municipality with more than 351,000 residents and the largest of nine communities in York Region, is home to over 650 headquartered companies and more than 1,500 high tech and life science companies. Markham is a leader in attracting foreign direct investment with more than 234 foreign companies located in the City. Founded in the 1790s, today Markham is Canada’s most diverse community and enjoys a rich heritage, outstanding community planning and services, and a vibrant local economy.

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