Is Canada Good At Waste Disposal and Recycling – See the Facts

Canada has a waste management record of mixed results. A lot of analyses comparing Canada’s efforts to other countries regularly rank us as having one of the worst waste management records among developed nations.

Is there room for improvement – absolutely. In an effort to give a full glimpse of the waste management problem in Canada, we’ve assembled the data and outline the opportunities that exist.

Every year, we send millions of tonnes of waste to our landfills. This is expensive, increases demands on our waste disposal facilities, and is a missed opportunity when we calculate the value of minerals and recyclables that aren’t being retrieved from our waste stream.

Does Canada have a waste problem?

 Each Canadian generates an average of 2.7 kg of waste every day. By this definition, Canada produces more garbage per capita than any other country on Earth.

 The two largest categories of waste in Canada are agricultural waste at 181 million tonnes annually and industrial waste at 1.12 billion tonnes annually. Total waste in Canada, as of 2017, is 1.33 billion tonnes of waste per year.

 The City of Toronto alone produces 900,000 tonnes of waste every year, a number continuing to grow with each passing year.

 Canada maintains over 10,000 landfill sites countrywide. Emissions from our landfills account for 20 percent of Canada’s national methane emissions.

Yes, Canada has a waste problem. We wish it wasn’t true but it is. On a national scale, and regionally in provinces like Ontario and cities like Toronto, we don’t do nearly a good enough job as a society in keeping our country clean.

How much does Canada recycle?

We not only have a waste problem but Canada has a recycling problem as well. A lot of recycling in Canada is shipped off to landfills every day. That’s because we either lack the facilities to process our recycling or we don’t have the means of recycling certain materials.

 Canada’s total recycling rate is not known precisely. What is known, however, is Canada’s recycling rate is worse than the UK, France, and the United States.

 Every municipality is different, meaning that what’s recyclable in Toronto is not necessarily recycling in Vancouver. It varies city by city which only exacerbates common recycling issues such as contamination.

 Canada recycles only 9 percent of our plastics with the rest ending up in a landfill somewhere.

What is Canada’s worst province for waste disposal?

The province that produces the most waste in Canada is Ontario with 9.2 million tonnes annually. The next worst provinces in Canada for waste production are Quebec at 5.2 million tonnes, Alberta at 3.9 million tonnes, and BC at 2.7 million tonnes. This is somewhat to be expected as these provinces have the highest populations in the country as well.

What is the best waste disposal strategy for Canada?

Advocates in waste management and recycling are advocating for a closed-loop recycling system. This is considered the best waste disposal strategy for Canada. Another way to say it is a circular waste economy.

A closed-loop recycling system is one where there is zero non-recyclable waste produced. Society in Canada would have to consume and produce materials that were either biodegradable or recyclable, to achieve a circular waste economy. We are unfortunately a long way from achieving this.

What are the key opportunities that exist in waste and recycling for Canada?

Under a circular waste economy or a closed-loop recycling system, there are several opportunities we have today to help Canada get there. Here is a list of recommendations for what Canada can do to recycle more and waste less.

 The banning of certain single-use non-recyclable materials is a strong strategy that current governments seem to favor. With the discussed ban on plastics in Canada beginning in 2021, this is one example of something that will inch us closer to zero waste.

 Waste disposal limits legislated per household or per business is a controversial subject however it’s one that has a lot of data supporting it as a way to drive waste reduction and landfill diversion.

 At a provincial and federal level, the government has a lot of tools at their disposal to create a more waste-friendly economy. If they wanted to get it done within the next year, it’s very possible we could see significant increases in recycling. The best government recycling strategies in Canada include tax breaks or carbon offset incentives to encourage the use of recycled content, the implementation of pilot projects such as those for mattress recycling, and more.

 There has not been very much discussion at a provincial nor federal level regarding organics. That is, composting and ways to manage food waste. Despite this, composting’s seen a noticeable increase in use Canada-wide over the past two decades. More composting programs and/or organic-to-energy facilities could improve upon current waste numbers. A landfill ban on organics could also potentially assist participation.

What is Extended Producer Responsibility?

In certain parts of Canada, like BC, Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) has been implemented. EPR is a system that says the responsibility to recycle and process waste is the manufacturers.

This means that instead of a city, municipality, or province having to find a manner of disposing of certain materials, the company making the product must work with a region to find an appropriate waste management system.

Some version of an EPR could be implemented nationwide or in other regions such as Ontario where the waste problem is more evident than in other areas. This is another way to make improvements to Canada’s existing waste and recycling system which, for all intents and purposes, is broke.

Why is Canada so bad at managing its waste and recycling?

Canada’s issues with managing waste have to do with an industry way underdeveloped. The sort of moves being made today, in terms of discussing a ban on single-use plastics and initiatives to further build out our waste processing network, are conversations that should have happened a decade ago.

Thankfully, the opportunities are there for change. They exist. It’s just a matter of having the economic, social, and political power to make it a reality. In our heart of hearts, we believe Canada can be a giant in recycling and waste management. Until we get serious about becoming better than ‘the worst at waste management’, Canada will be playing catch-up in crisis mode.

Are you looking for waste disposal in Toronto? If you’re a business or home in need of waste management help, dumpster or mini bin rentals, junk removal, or construction waste disposal, give us a call. We want to help. Contact a representative at Core Mini Bins today.