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WASTE:
Recycling
The
OECD
defines recycling
as the “reuse
of material in
a production
process that
diverts it from
the waste stream”.15
Recycling is
an important
activity because
it reduces the
 amount
of material being
treated as waste,
reduces energy
requirements
and relieves
pressure on virgin
sources of natural
resources. Levels
of recycling
vary widely among
different materials
such as glass,
metal, plastic,
wood, paper and
cardboard. Composting
is an important
means of diverting
food and yard
waste from the
municipal waste
stream.
The
environmental
problems caused
by municipal
waste can be
significantly
alleviated through
increased recycling,
although reducing
the amount of
waste generated
is a more effective
and efficient
strategy in the
long run.
Canada’s
OECD Ranking
 Canada’s
ranking among
OECD nations
for recycling
is very poor.
For glass, Canada
ranks 24th out
of 25 countries
for whom data
is available.
Only Mexico has
a worse record
for glass recycling.
For paper and
cardboard, Canada
ranks 21st out
of 28 countries.
For
glass, Canada
recycles 17%.
For paper and
cardboard, Canada
recycles 33%.
It
should be noted
that 1992 was
the latest year
for which the
OECD could obtain
reliable Canadian
data. It is likely
that there has
been considerable
improvement in
Canadian recycling
rates since that
time because
of the expansion
of blue box programs.
Trend
Canada has made
modest progress
in recycling.
Between 1980
and 1992, the
level of paper
and cardboard
recycling in
Canada rose from
20% to 33%. For
glass, the level
of recycling
rose from 12%
to 17% between
1980 and 1992.
Many
European nations
have achieved
much higher recycling
rates much more
quickly than
Canada.
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