How much waste we generate

Oct. 17 - 23 is Waste Reduction Week

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October 17, 2011

The amount of waste we generate has grown steadily in relation to our population and economy. With economic growth and prosperity, consumption increases creating more waste. Cheap plastics and aluminum compounded the problem, making possible a whole range of throwaway products and packaging. In a lifetime, the average North American will throw away 600 times his or her adult weight in garbage. A 68 kg adult will leave a legacy of 40,825 kg of waste.

In 2008, Canadians produced more than 34 million tonnes of waste, or just over 1,000 kg per person. Of this, only 25 per cent was diverted from landfill through recycling and composting programs. In Alberta, only 15 per cent of waste is diverted.

Waste generation illustration.

In a rich province like Alberta, the amount of waste we generate continues to increase.

Recycled waste chart. One-third of waste produced is residential, while two-thirds is non-residential. In Alberta, municipal recycling and composting programs primarily target residential waste.

Up to 80 per cent of residential waste generated can be recycled.

A few facts:

Alberta produces more waste per capita than any other region in Canada. In 2008, Alberta disposed of 1,122 kg per person compared with 378 kg in Nova Scotia.
Between 2006 and 2008, Alberta was one of three provinces with a per capita increase in waste to landfill.
Higher rates in Alberta were largely the result of non-residential waste, caused by a growing economy and a lack of legislation and programs targeting this sector.
Alberta’s per capita disposal of residential waste was only slightly higher than the national average (271 kg versus 256 kg).
Spruce Grove residents disposed of 247 kg of residential waste, which is lower than both the provincial and national averages.

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