Facility plan summaries

Under the Toxics Reduction Act, a facility must develop a toxic substance reduction plan that identifies and assesses options to reduce the use and creation of those toxic substances. Implementation of the plan is voluntary, allowing each facility an opportunity to move forward at a rate that best reflects its unique economic and operational circumstances. While implementation of the plan is not mandatory, a facility may realize economic, environmental and social benefits through toxic substance reductions.

A facility must submit a summary of its toxics reduction plan to the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change and also make it available to the public on the Internet. This is a valuable way to communicate with Ontarians as a plan summary tells the public:

  • why the prescribed toxic substance is used or created;
  • about the facility’s intent to reduce the use and creation of the toxic substance; and,
  • how reductions will be achieved or reasons they may not be implementing a reduction option.

There are over 1,100 facilities that have submitted a plan summary since 2011 (as of September 14, 2016). These facilities represent a wide range of sectors from chemical manufacturing to transportation equipment manufacturing to wood product manufacturing.

Of the facilities that submitted a plan summary between 2011 and 2014, close to 40% intend to implement at least one option for reducing at least one substance at their facility. As shown in the table below, some facilities have indicated they intend to implement more than one option, and 162 facilities intend to implement options for 100% the substances at their facility. Of those facilities intending to implement at least one option for a substance, 36% plan on implementing options for up to half of the substances used at the facility, and 64% intend to implement options for between half and all of the substances used at the facility.

Facilities that intend on implementing options for more than one substance at their facility.
Range of substances the facility intends to implement options to reduce # of facilities
Up to 25% of the substances at facility 84
Between 25 and 50% of the substances at facility 76
Between 50 and 75% of the substances at facility 89
Between 75 and 100% of the substances at facility 35
All of the substances at the facility (100%) 162

In their toxics reduction plans, facilities must consider seven toxics reduction categories. Of these categories, “equipment or process modification” was the option that facilities most identified for implementation. Below is a breakdown of each of the seven categories selected for implementation, and the percentage by which facilities selected them:

  • Equipment or process modification (29%)
  • Good operator practice or training (23%)
  • Spill or leak prevention (11%)
  • Materials or Feedstock Substitution (10%)
  • On-site Reuse, Recycling or Recovery (10%)
  • Product Design or Reformulation (9%)
  • Improved Inventory Management or Purchasing Techniques (8%)

Facilities have cited a variety of reasons for not implementing options, including:

  • No options were identified that were technically or economically feasible to implement;
  • While no options were identified currently that were technically/economically feasible, the facility will continue to investigate future opportunities;
  • Best practices have already been implemented for more efficient manufacturing;
  • The substance is a critical component of the product or is the product itself; and,
  • The substance is naturally occurring in the feedstock.

The table below illustrates the percentage of facilities from each sector that have indicated their intent to implement an option for at least one substance. However, the number of facilities varies across each sector and there are a number of factors that may influence a sector or facility’s ability to implement toxics reduction options.

Number and per cent of facilities that intend to implement an option by subsector for 2011-2014.
3 digit NAICS code Sector description Range of substances at the facility Number of facilities that intend on implementing Total # of facilities that submitted a plan summary in that sector Percent of facilities in each sector that intend on implementing
313 Textile mills 1-12 5 6 83.3%
334 Computer and electronic product manufacturing 1-7 12 18 66.7%
323 Printing and related support activities 1-16 20 37 54.1%
337 Furniture and related product manufacturing 1-22 20 37 54.1%
321 Wood product manufacturing 1-76 16 31 51.6%
322 Paper manufacturing 1-58 14 29 48.3%
325 Chemical manufacturing 1-80 79 167 47.3%
332 Fabricated metal product manufacturing 1-17 64 141 45.4%
326 Plastics and rubber products manufacturing 1-13 44 106 41.5%
339 Miscellaneous manufacturing 1-11 11 28 39.3%
331 Primary metal manufacturing 1-126 41 108 38.0%
335 Electrical equipment, appliance and component manufacturing 1-6 10 27 37.0%
312 Beverage and tobacco product manufacturing 1-7 3 9 33.3%
324 Petroleum and coal product manufacturing 1-77 7 21 33.3%
336 Transportation equipment manufacturing 1-44 50 156 32.1%
333 Machinery manufacturing 1-11 8 28 28.6%
212 Mining and quarrying (except oil and gas) 2-35 6 22 27.3%
311 Food manufacturing 1-12 22 115 19.1%
327 Non-metallic mineral product manufacturing 1-38 14 82 17.1%
314 Textile Product Mills 1 0 1 0%

A complete list of facilities planning to reduce toxics (as reported in 2011-2014 Plan Summaries) is available on Ontario’s Open Data Catalogue.

Ontarians are encouraged to visit the province’s Toxics Environment Map to search by geographic location, company name, toxic substance or sector to find more information on facilities intending to implement options to reduce toxics.