1.
Solid Waste Statistics & Facts in Canada
 Almost 25 million tonnes of non-hazardous waste were
disposed in Canada in 2010 (Ontario disposed the most)
 On a per capita basis, a total of 729 kg of waste was
disposed per person in 2010 (Alberta was the highest)
 Slightly more than one third of waste for disposal came
from residential sources
 The total amount of materials diverted for recycling or
composting was 8.1 million tonnes, or 236 kg per person
in 2010
 There is concern that Canada’s landfills are reaching
capacity and it is becoming increasingly difficult to find
sites for new ones
Source: Statistics Canada / www.ec.gc.ca

2.
The importance of the 3Rs: Reduce, Reuse,
Recycle
The most effective way to reduce the garbage is
reducing the amount of solid waste produced
By reducing waste at the source, you save the
resources like water and energy
Like reducing, reusing avoids creating waste
rather than trying to recycle it once it's already
there
Operating a well-run recycling program costs
less than waste collection and landfilling

3.
Importance of 3Rs…
Recycling helps families save money, because
they pay for less disposal costs
Generally, recycling produces less air and water
pollution than manufacturing with new materials
By recycling you send less materials to landfills,
which will keep them for future
Proper disposal and recycling will prevent water
and soil contamination and its potential adverse
impacts on public health

4.
Recycling Council of British Columbia
http://rcbc.bc.ca/

5.
Did you know that…
 It takes 24 trees to make 1 ton of newspaper
 1 recycled glass bottle would save enough
energy to power a computer for 25 minutes
Recycling creates four jobs for every one job
created in the disposal industries
Recycling one aluminum can saves enough
energy to run a TV for three hours
The amount of wood and paper, we throw away
each year is enough to heat 50,000,000
homes for 20 years
Source: http://www.recycling-guide.org.uk

6.
Barriers to recycling by recycling
participation, 2007
Source(s): Statistics Canada, Households and the Environment Survey, 2007

7.
Material prepared for recycling, by
weight, 2008 (Waste management industry)
Source: Statistics Canada, CANSIM table 153-0043

8.
What Happens to the Recycled Materials?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_rnAVvX-Zg

9.
Municipal programs for Waste
management in Toronto
 In 2008, charges for size of bins
 Curbside collection: blue bin for recyclables, green bin
for organics and gray for garbage
 Separate curbside collection of electronics now available
 The Green bin program collects food waste, wet-paper,
diapers and pet waste
 Green bin program for multi-unit buildings now
underway- 8% now have a collection
 In 2012, 52% of residential waste was diverted (66% of
single-family homes, 24% in multi-unit)
 The goal is 70% diversion

10.
York region’s special waste
Management Programs
Residents of York region should not put plastic
bags, wrap and film in the blue box
Plastic Bag Take-Back Program: you can drop off
plastic bags at retail stores across the York region
so they can be sent for recycling
They also should not put shredded paper in the blue
box due to their difficulty to be managed
York region residents can use an online Bindicator
to find the best options for where it should go by
entering the item or select a category in the
www.York.ca

11.
Some Tips Guide to Reduce, Reuse,
and Recycle
Reducing tips:
While shopping, reduce your waste by avoiding pointless
purchases
Look for products with less packaging or buy them in
bulk
Rent, share or borrow items that are not used
frequently like tools, party decorations
For shopping, use your own cloth bags
Switch to e-bills to save paper whenever possible

12.
Some Tips Guide to Reduce, Reuse,
and Recycle
Reusing tips:
Purchase more durable products that can be repaired
and reused
Donate reusable items to schools, churches, or other
charity organizations
Buy products that can be reused like rechargeable
batteries, refillable bottles instead of cans
Before you throw any item away, think how you can
reuse them like scrap papers or your old clothes
Consider buying used items from reuse centres

13.
Some Tips Guide to Reduce, Reuse,
and Recycle
Recycling tips:
You can recycle your leftover foods, yard leaves by
composting in your garden
Use recycling services which are provided by your
municipality or take-back programs
Buy products that are recyclable or made from recycled
materials by checking their labels
Hazardous wastes are difficult to recycle so try to find
non-toxic alternatives and products
Try your best to put waste in its right place and
ask for help if you are not sure!

14.
Planning for tomorrow: Toronto's long term
waste resource management strategy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glW01V3ugfk

15.
References
 City of Toronto: Garbage & Recycling.
http://www1.toronto.ca/wps/portal/contentonly?
vgnextoid=03ec433112b02410VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD
 Statistics Canada: Recycling by Canadian households, 2010.
http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/16-001-m/2010013/aftertoc-
aprestdm1-eng.htm
 Environment Canada: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.
https://www.ec.gc.ca/gdd-mw/default.asp?lang=en&n=D3A22BDD-1
 Recycling Guide: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. http://www.recycling-
guide.org.uk/rrr.html
 A Recycling Revolution: Recycling benefits. http://www.recycling-
revolution.com/index.html
 York Region: Garbage and Recycling. http://www.york.ca