Background
We all generate far too much waste, including “recyclable” materials. Waste is the quintessential
“externalized” cost where those costs of dealing with waste are inequitably distributed locally and globally.
Policies and programs aimed at waste reduction and environmentally sound handling have been promoted for
decades and yet the challenges of achieving these goals continue to mount. Within the past two years new
initiatives have been signaled by the federal and provincial governments to reduce waste generation and to
promote the safe handling of waste (e.g., CCME 2018, 2019).
According to jurisdictional authority, the Province mandates that municipalities handle residential waste
whereas the Industrial, Commercial, and Institutional (IC&I) sectors are responsible for managing their own
wastes as specified under the Environmental Protection Act1
. The Blue Box Program is managed by each
municipality. Thus, the destination of waste for final disposal and recycling differs according to whether you
are at the University (IC&I sector), a shop or restaurant, City of Toronto, Vaughan, Peel, York etc. The ultimate
destiny of recycled materials shifts according to market conditions but is often unknown. What is known is
that the current situation is unsustainable as the need for landfills space grows, and recycling programs falter.
Goal
To discover what items contribute most to your greatest solid waste stream (including all items that are
discarded as final waste and intended for recycling) and to recommend practical steps that you can take to
reduce your generation of waste including recyclable materials.
Your Assignment
1. Conduct a 2-day waste audit. Keep a list of all specific types (e.g., uncoated paper, coffee cup), the volume of
each type that you discard and the location of where you have discarded this item over 2 days according the
categories of waste streams:
• Garbage (cannot be recycled)
• Recycling (including which recycling stream if that option is available)
• Compost
Report the results of your waste audit in a table indicating the specific type of each waste, its volume (e.g.,
cm3), and the location where it was discarded over two days. Please summarize the data where possible by
adding together the same type of item discarded at the same location over the 2-day period.
2. For the two specific types that constitute the largest source of waste answer the questions listed below. The
“largest source” is usually defined according to volume but could also be expressed as weight.
2.1 What is the likely destination of each of the two types of waste that you discarded over that 2-day period?
A destination could be: landfill and bonus if you know the location of the landfill; recycling stream (e.g.,
1 https://rco.on.ca/resources/how-waste-is-regulated/
2
aluminum cans are very likely recycled by re-refining, but plastic bags are likely not recycled but rather are
likely landfilled or exported2
. This answer must be supported by a minimum of one reference per item where
the reference is from a reputable source that could include a news outlet.
2.2 What is one action that you can take to reduce the volume of each of the two wastes discarded?
2.3 What reasonable policy/policies or regulation(s) could be taken by the provincial or federal government to
reduce the volumes of each type of waste discarded? You need to specify which level of government and the
answer must be realistic.
