Recycling in Canada

Downloadable versions of this activity are available in the following formats:

(RTF format, PDF format)

Note: Teachers, see Teacher’s notes

In 2006, about 90% of all households in Canada reported using some sort of recycling program¹.

This sounds like fantastic news – the “reduce, reuse, recycle” message appears to have reached the population and the work of protecting the environment is mostly done.  Is this true?  Find out by taking a closer look at Canadian statistics.

A. Examine the table to see the percentage of Canadian households that are participating in environmentally friendly activities:

Source: Statistics Canada, Households and the Environment Survey, 1994 and 2006

B. Use the tables above to answer these questions:

B.1 Which material was being recycled by the greatest percentage of Canadian households
in 1994:     in 2006:  

B.2 From 1994 to 2006, what was the increase in the percentage of households that
composted:  %
used any compact fluorescent bulbs:  %

B.3 In which categories is your class

a) very similar to the rest of Canada?

b) more environmentally responsible than the rest of Canada?

c) less environmentally responsible than the rest of Canada?

B.4 Based on the data above which of the following statements is most accurate:

a            b             c

a) Over 80% of households recycle all their metal cans, plastic and paper all of the time.

b) Over 80% of all metal, plastic and paper is diverted from waste disposal facilities through recycling.

c) Over 80% of households recycles some of their metal cans, plastic and paper, some of the time.

C. Consider the total amount of waste produced by the products we consume.

When households report that they recycle, this does not mean that they are recycling 100% of their recyclable garbage.  Consider also that a large proportion of the total waste per person in Canada is created during the production, transportation and packaging of the goods that we buy and use.

In fact, 66% of all waste is generated outside our homes in places such as schools, hospitals, and workplaces, and on the street, in malls and in industry.²  For this reason, we do not have personal control over our portion of the total waste created. We must recycle our own consumer waste and also be aware that manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers are also responsible for recycling the waste created to produce and distribute the goods we consume.

Let’s try to get a better picture of the total amount of residential waste produced and recycled in Canada.

The following table shows how many kilograms of residential waste were produced per person and how much waste was diverted from landfill sites through recycling in 2006. It also shows the percentage of households that used any type of recycling program in 2006.

Definitions

Waste disposed: waste that is landfilled, incinerated or treated for final disposal (does not include materials destined for recycling and composting).

Recyclable materials diverted: materials diverted from the waste stream and remanufactured into a new product or used as a raw material substitute

Total materials discarded: the combined total amount of waste disposed and recyclable materials diverted

Use the previous table to answer these questions:

C.1 Which province disposed of the greatest amount of residential waste per person?

C.2 Which provinces recycled the greatest amount of residential materials per person?

C.3 For each region, calculate the total amount of materials discarded per capita, including waste disposed and materials recycled.

Total materials discarded per capita = Column 1 + Column 2

Record your answers in column 3 of the table on the previous page.

C.4 For each region, calculate the diversion rate (the amount of residential materials recycled compared to the total amount of residential materials discarded), using the following formula:

Diversion rate = 

Record your answers in column 4 of the table on the previous page.

C.5 Which province had the highest diversion rate?

C.6 Do you think there is a connection between the diversion rate and the percentage of households that use a recycling program in the provinces and territories? Explain your answer.

D. Graph the results and answer the questions

Create a scatter plot below to compare the percentages of households that used a recycling program (column 5 from the table above) with the diversion rates (column 4). Identify each data point by labeling it with the provincial or territorial abbreviation (e.g.  MB for Manitoba, NB   for New Brunswick).

D.1 Draw the line of best fit (the trend line that fits the majority of data points) for the above graph.

D.2 Describe the trend in the graph.  Does this match your prediction in question 10?

D.3 How can you explain the connection between the percentage of households that recycle and the diversion rate?

D.4 What changes could be made in provinces and territories with lower diversion rates and lower  percentages of households involved in recycling in order to improve both of these areas? Consider the responsibilities of governments, industries and individuals in your answer.

Contributed by Angela McCanny, Statistics Canada resource teacher, Ottawa, Ontario