StatsCan: Disposal of Household Special Wastes

May, 2008

Despite the environmental, health and safety risks posed by improper disposal of household special waste, EnviroStats, Statistics Canada's quarterly bulletin on environmental and sustainable development statistics, found that many Canadian households are putting these special waste items into their normal garbage.

The 2006 study focused on four special wastes: dead batteries; leftover or expired medication; old computer and communication equipment; and leftover paint.

About one-quarter of households returned dead batteries to a depot, drop-off centre or supplier. Sixty percent put old batteries in their household garbage.

Nearly half of households returned leftover or expired drugs to a pharmacy, depot or drop-off centre. Four in 10 threw them away, flushed them down the drain or buried them.

Almost half of households with an unwanted computer or communication device gave the item away, left it at a drop-off depot or returned it to a supplier. More than a third of households still had old IT waste at home in storage, while 16% of households put the item in the trash and 5% used other methods of disposal.

The one bright spot was old paint. More than half of households with leftover paint used special waste depots or returned it to suppliers. The majority of the rest (38%) reported that they still had it at home. Only four percent of households (4%) put leftover paint in the trash.

The study “Disposal of household special wastes” is now available in EnviroStats (16-002-XIE, free). The studies “Is composting organic waste spreading?” and “Agricultural water use in Canada” are also released in this issue of EnviroStats.

(Source: May 2008 WasteWatch)

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