SM4RT Living is the name given to the 40 year waste management plan for York Region, which has evolved in meaning as the various stakeholders began to define this term. The 4 Rs of Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Recover were freed from their stereotypical blue boxes and garbage bags and became guideposts for new ideas and ways of living.
The SM4RT Living Plan was shaped in good part through innovative public engagement. The insights received from all those that contributed to the SM4RT Living Plan helped formulate a new direction that is not about giving something up but rather about valuing and appreciating what we have. This is a strategy for the future that is not just a municipally driven plan, but one which relies heavily on the involvement and efforts by residents, community groups and other organizations.