Circular Innovation City Challenge

Rotman School of Management

Creativity and Business Innovation

Circular Economy and Innovation

Sinead Murphy, Senior Project Manager
City of Toronto

May 19, 2022

City of Toronto at a glance

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 Toronto Solid Waste at a glance
Waste managed: 786,000 tonnes/year
• Our mandate: responsible for collecting, Customers served: 870,000
transporting, processing, composting and
Residential diversion rate: 53%
disposing of municipal and some private
Waste operating budget: $377 million
sector waste.
Waste 10-Year capital plan: $849 million
• Our goals: To be an international leader
as an innovative and sustainable solid
waste management utility.

• To provide services in a safe, efficient, and

courteous manner, creating environmental
sustainability, promoting waste diversion
and maintaining a clean city.

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Toronto’s circular economy goals
• Long Term Waste Management
Strategy adopted by Toronto City
Council in 2016
• Recommends waste reduction, reuse,
recycling, recovery and residual
disposal policies and programs that
are environmentally sustainable,
socially acceptable, and cost-effective
• Sets aspirational goal to work toward
a circular economy and zero waste
future
• Recommended the creation of a
business unit to advance circular
economy goals
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The Linear Economy

TAKE

MAKE

DISPOSE
The Circular Economy
 • Reduce our reliance on
non-renewable natural
resources and limit our
Applying carbon footprint.

circular • Maximize the use of

economy resources (think reduce,
share, repair, reuse, and
principles recycle).

at the • Redesign our processes

to reduce waste or and,
City where possible,
regenerate natural
systems.
Circular Economy and Innovation Unit
• Long Term Waste Management Strategy
recommended creation of a dedicated unit for
circular economy

• Portfolio includes:
1. Innovation projects and programs for Solid
Waste Management Services division
2. Circular economy initiatives for the division
and the corporation
3. Circular economy initiatives in the
community

For more information, check out: www.toronto.ca/circulareconomy

Questions?
The Circular Innovation City Challenge
• Launched February 2021 by the Danish Business Authority & Ellen MacArthur
Foundation

• Collaboration between the City of Toronto, New York City, Glasgow, Copenhagen,
and Amsterdam

• A global call for innovators with digital or data-driven solutions to help cities
become more circular (e.g., reducing emissions, maximizing resource use)
The Circular Innovation City Challenge

Click here to watch the

1-min explainer video
The Challenge Details
• Overarching issue that this challenge is targeting:

• 70% of global CO2 emissions and 50% of global waste production is driven
by people in cities

• 45% of CO2 emissions are related to our use of materials

• We need digital or data-driven circular solution to help battle these numbers!

The Challenge Details
• The solutions that this challenge is targeting:

• Digital or data-driven solutions that address innovation areas:

#1 Facilitating circular business models
through data
• Designing out waste and creating efficient circular business models require a strong
understanding of how cities and communities operate when it comes to the flow of the
materials, goods, and products we use. The use of data and digital services within this
area is a key catalyst for a circular transformation of business practices.

• Example solutions:

• Providing data on product and material flows in the city that will
help design out waste in businesses and communities

• Facilitating circular business models (e.g. through digital platforms

enabling product-as-a-service, leasing, or take-back systems)

• Providing data services that enable municipalities to track circular

transitions and understand how best to support circular business
models through public procurement and policy
#2 Making local businesses drivers of
circular cities
• In a thriving city, local businesses take responsibility for the products they sell and the
packaging, materials, and resources they use. They engage with their suppliers and
customers to ensure products can be, and are repaired, reused, and recycled. And
because of this, they prosper and help shape sustainable city communities.

• Example solutions:

• Enabling collaborations between businesses and their customers

around product repair, reuse, and recycling (e.g. through sharing
platforms, reward systems, information on product use & disposal)

• Connecting businesses, suppliers, and local manufacturers to

provide real-use data and insights on the circular design of products
(e.g., material choices, design for disassembly)
#3 Creating thriving, resilient
communities
• Community collaboration and inclusive access to circular products and services are core
to the transformation to a circular, climate neutral city. The circular city life and the
behavioural change needed is best led by the local communities and citizens themselves.
Facilitating local initiatives is a critical first step towards more extensive circular business
models and city initiatives.

• Example solutions:

• Enabling local sharing hubs, community co-ownership models, or

‘commons’ approaches to resources through digital platforms

• Provide training, capacity building, and knowledge to community

groups around designing and managing local sharing and
co-ownership platforms
What is the City of Toronto looking for?
• As explained by Meaghan Davis, Manager of Circular Economy & Innovation…

Click here to watch the

1-min video
Who where the challenge winners?
5 winners selected from 137 applications from 26 countries!

1. Go Zero Waste (Spain) – app-based tool to implement circular policies

through incentives and gamification
2. Concular (Germany) – digitalizes materials in buildings using material
passports on blockchain technology
3. Topolytics (United Kingdom) – data analytics platform and waste map that
generates insights on material flows
4. Seenons (Netherlands) – platform bringing together people in the waste chain
to reduce and repurpose waste towards a circular economy
5. Konsido (Denmark) – AI platform that analyzes electronic invoices to identify
the spend categories and activities with the largest potential in terms of circular
procurement
Questions?
Thanks!

Sinead Murphy
Senior Project Manager, Circular
Economy and Innovation

Solid Waste Management Services Division

City of Toronto
416-397-7912
Sinead.Murphy@toronto.ca

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