Metro Vancouver Winning War on Waste

A Metro Vancouver report shows that overall, in 2015, residents, businesses and industry generated less waste, sent less to landfills and recycled more than in the previous year.

In 2015, 1,982,137 tonnes of material from residents, businesses and industry were recycled or diverted from disposal in Metro Vancouver, which is 62% of the waste material generated in the region. Recyclables included everything from asphalt to yard and food waste.

This figure is an increase from 2014, when 61% of waste was diverted. Metro Vancouver’s goal was to have 70% diversion by 2015.

The disposal rate in the region decreased 8% from 0.53 tonnes per person in 2014 to 0.49 tonnes per person in 2015. This number has been steadily decreasing from a high of 0.75 tonnes per person in 2006.

Just over 1.2 million tonnes of waste was sent to disposal facilities, which include landfills and waste-to-energy sites.

The total amount of waste generated per person in the region has also decreased to 1.28 tonnes of waste generated per person in 2015, compared to 1.36 the previous year.

The largest increase in the diversion rate was a five-per-cent improvement in the multi-family sector (29% diversion), followed by a four-per-cent increase in the single-family sector (66% diversion). It is estimated that in 2015, the multi-family sector reduced the amount of waste disposed to 0.20 tonnes per person from 0.24 tonnes the year before.

Source: Vancouver Sun