StatsCanada releases 2008 waste survey results

From Recycling Canada magazine, January 2011

As a society, we are not becoming less wasteful, thought we are a little bit more diligent about diverting waste to more beneficial uses. But we still have a long way to go.

Statistics Canada recently released its biennial survey of the waste management industry, based on data from 2008. It shows, somewhat surprisingly, that per-capita generation of residuals (waste and recyclables) remained relatively constant compared with 2006, at approximately 1,031 kg per person. But at least we diverted more of it.

Per capita, we are diverting more, with some provinces doing a much better job of it than others. Waste diversion per capita rose from 237 kg in 2006 to 254 kg in 2008, a seven percent jump. Nationally, the diversion rate (residential and IC&I) rose from 23 percent to 24.7 percent. The waste diversion leader remains Nova Scotia at 45 percent (up from 43.8 percent in 2006). New Brunswick at 35.8 percent, and BC at 34.9 percent, are closing the gap.

Waste diversion laggards are the three Prairie Provinces: Saskatchewan at 14.2 percent, Manitoba at 15 percent, and Alberta at 15.3 percent.

The survey provides an interesting insight into the cost of waste diversion. Nova Scotia, Canada's diversion champion, spent the most per capita on the operation of waste disposal facilities (almost $30), the operation of recycling facilities ($8) and the operation of organics processing facilities ($9). These expenditures are well above the national average.

However, it does not appear that the solution to a municipal waste problem is found simply by throwing money at it. Some provinces are far more efficient than others. Nationally, on average, local governments spent $79 per person on waste management. New Brunswick spent less than that, yet diverted more per capita than the national average. Contrast that with Alberta and Ontario, both of which spent more per capita and diverted less.

The residential sector continues to outstrip the IC&I sector. Total waste diversion from residential sources grew by 16 percent between 2006 and 2008, but only by two percent from non-residential sources.

Not surprisingly, diversion rates for electronics showed the biggest increase between 2006 and 2008, growing by 115 percent. Of course, in terms of raw tonnage or as a percentage of the waste stream, the number remains very small. Among the more conventional categories of recyclables, the biggest jump was found in plastics, climbing 40 percent.

Though there's still a long way to go, governments seem to be making headway in organics diversion. The tonnage of organics diverted from landfill grew by 21.5 percent.

The StatsCan survey also provides a snapshot of the health of the waste management and recycling industries. However, the results presented in this survey, done in 2008, will not reflect the full impact of the recession.

Industry revenues grew by 13 percent from 2006 to 2008, but operating expenditures grew even faster, by 19 percent. Total employment in the sector grew by 11 percent. There was also a big jump in capital expenditures, though the study notes that these expenditures can vary significantly from one year to the next.

Copies of the survey results may be downloaded from the StatsCan website.

Back to 3Rs main page

Back to Resources main page

Back to Home page