Waste reduction final report -4 - Test Input

Canada (with a focus on Ontario)
Contributed by:
Dr Mark Gorgolewski
Professor, Department of Architectural Science
Ryerson University, Toronto
1. Introduction
Environment Canada estimates that Canada’s Construction, Renovation and Demolition
(CRD) sector generates 11 million tonnes of solid waste each year (this is believed to include
road and bridge building waste which constitutes a significant part of this waste). Most of this
“waste” is managed as garbage and is landfilled. Estimates indicate that CRD wastes
contribute approximately 20-25% of landfill by volume. Detailed information on the
composition of this waste stream is patchy with a few local surveys. Some reports have
assumed US percentages for waste composition. In the absence of clear and consistent
characterization of CRD waste, or regulations, the tracking and reporting of CRD waste
activities is not clearly assigned. Thus, generation and diversion data collection between
jurisdictions and sectors are often estimates.
Recent interest at the federal level in Canada has focussed on the impact of waste and
landfilling on Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions. Under the Action Plan 2000 on Climate
Change studies were commissioned to assess the impact of waste reduction strategies on
greenhouse gas emissions, including CRD waste (see Section 6).
1.1. Federal/Provincial/Municipal jurisdictions
The Canadian Environmental Protection Act (EPA), places only the transport of hazardous
waste between provincial and international borders as a federal responsibility. Typically CRD
wastes are not characterized as hazardous and are not generally subject to any federal
regulations. At present, the Government of Canada lists a number of statutes that compel
federal government departments to utilize sustainable best practices regarding source
separation and diversion of CRD wastes. However, the responsibility to manage and track
CRD wastes is dealt with at the provincial and territorial level.
Provincial and territorial regulations specific to managing CRD wastes vary considerably and
are also not consistently enforced. Recording and verifying the generation, disposal and
diversion of CRD Waste is inconsistent due to variations in requirements of each province,
seasonality, climate, and urban renewal activity. The data that is collected is often difficult to
compare in the absence of an established or common definition.CRD waste generation rates
are also affected by inconsistent measurement practices. In some cases, waste is recorded
before materials are diverted for reuse and recycling, while in others, only material which is
disposed of in landfills is measured. Furthermore, CRD waste recovery definitions also vary:
reuse and recycling are generally considered, but in some cases waste-to-energy as well as
inert/clean fill disposal are counted as recovery. To facilitate consistent and accurate tracking
and measurement of CRD wastes, a consistent and detailed definition needs to be adopted.
In addition to provincial regulations, municipalities often implement regulations to manage or
control CRD waste management practices at the local level including by-laws that ban the
landfilling of specific CRD material (e.g. drywall).
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