Canadians Recycling More; But, Less Than U.S.

Jul 13: Access to recycling programs, and their use, have improved substantially in Canada since the mid-1990s, and Canadian households are recycling more waste than ever before, according to a report in the new online inaugural edition of EnviroStats, Statistics Canada's new quarterly bulletin on environmental and sustainable development statistics. According to the report, the vast majority of Canadian households that had access to recycling programs made use of them in 2006, regardless of household income, the occupants' education levels, or the type of dwelling. Among households that had access to recycling programs, about 97% of those in single-detached homes recycled waste, as did 95% of those in low-rise apartments.

In 2004, households produced 13.4 million tonnes of waste, according to the Waste Management Industry Survey. Of this amount, nearly 3.6 million tonnes went to recycling, a 65% increase from 2000. During this four-year period, the proportion of household waste that was diverted to recycling increased from 19% to 27%. In 2004, the average Canadian recycled 112 kilograms of material, compared with 71 kilograms in 2000. Recycling rates in 2004 ranged from a high of 157 kilograms per capita in Nova Scotia to a low of 54 kilograms in Saskatchewan. By comparison, an October 23, 2006, report from U.S. EPA, indicated Americans are recycling more and throwing away less and recycled 32 percent of its waste in 2005 -- a 2 percent increase from 2004 and a huge jump from 16 percent in 1990.

Access the Canadian summary analysis and link to the EnviroStats article (click here). Access complete details on the U.S. EPA report on an eNewsUSA Blog post (click here). [*Solid, *P2]