What happens to our garbage?
Canadians produce a lot of waste: about 700 kg per person each year when homes, businesses and institutions are included, among the most in the world. Most of it ends up in a landfill, where garbage is buried. But much of it could be reused, recycled or composted instead.
The 3 Rs
The 3 Rs are listed in order of importance.
| R | What it means | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Reduce | Use less in the first place | Buy only what you need; avoid excess packaging; use a reusable water bottle |
| 2. Reuse | Use items again | Refill containers; donate clothes; repair broken things |
| 3. Recycle | Turn used materials into new products | Put paper, cans and bottles in the blue bin |
Reducing comes first because the best waste is waste that’s never created. Some people add more Rs: refuse (say no to things you don’t need), repair, rethink and rot (compost).
How recycling works
- Collection: recyclables are picked up from homes and businesses.
- Sorting: at a materials recovery facility, machines and workers separate items. Magnets pull out steel; eddy currents push out aluminum; air jets and optical scanners sort plastics and paper.
- Processing: materials are cleaned, shredded or melted.
- Manufacturing: the processed materials become new products.
- Buying: people buy products made with recycled materials, completing the loop.
What can be recycled?
| Material | Becomes | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Aluminum cans | New cans, often back on shelves within about 60 days | Can be recycled forever; saves about 95% of the energy of making new aluminum |
| Steel cans | New steel | Easy to sort with magnets |
| Glass | New bottles, jars, fibreglass | Can be recycled forever |
| Paper and cardboard | New paper, boxes, egg cartons | Fibres get shorter each time; can be recycled about 5–7 times |
| Plastics | Fleece jackets, carpet, benches, new bottles | Only some types are widely recycled; quality often drops |
| Electronics | Recovered metals like copper, gold and rare elements | Need special drop-off |
| Batteries | Recovered metals | Never put in garbage or blue bins; can start fires |
Plastic numbers
The number inside the recycling symbol on plastics tells you the type of plastic, not whether it can be recycled. Types 1 (PET, like water bottles) and 2 (HDPE, like milk jugs) are the most commonly recycled. Check your local rules.
Contamination
Putting the wrong items in the recycling bin is called contamination. Greasy pizza boxes, plastic bags, food waste or "wishful recycling" (tossing in items you hope are recyclable) can spoil whole loads, sending them to the landfill.
When in doubt, check your local guide.
Composting
About a third of household garbage is food scraps and yard waste. In a landfill, this waste breaks down without oxygen, producing methane, a powerful greenhouse gas.
Composting lets food scraps and leaves decompose with oxygen, turning them into rich soil. Many Canadian cities have green-bin programs. You can also compost at home or use a worm bin (vermicomposting).
| Compost | Don’t compost at home |
|---|---|
| Fruit and vegetable scraps | Meat and fish (attract animals) |
| Coffee grounds and tea bags | Dairy |
| Eggshells | Pet waste |
| Leaves and grass clippings | Diseased plants |
Why it matters
- Saves resources: recycling one tonne of paper saves about 17 trees.
- Saves energy: making products from recycled materials usually uses less energy.
- Reduces pollution: less mining, logging and manufacturing pollution.
- Saves landfill space: landfills are expensive and hard to site.
- Fights climate change: less methane from landfills and less energy use.
The circular economy
In a "take–make–throw away" economy, resources become waste. In a circular economy, products are designed to last, be repaired, reused and finally recycled, keeping materials in use as long as possible.
Canada has introduced rules to reduce certain single-use plastics and to make producers responsible for collecting and recycling their packaging.
Common mistakes
- Thinking everything with a recycling symbol is recyclable everywhere.
- Bagging recyclables in plastic bags. Bags jam sorting machines.
- Thinking recycling is the most important R. Reducing is better.
Try it yourself
- Do a garbage audit: sort one day of your household’s waste into garbage, recycling, compost and reusable items. What could be diverted from the landfill?
- Make recycled paper from scrap paper, water and a screen.
- Start a worm bin and observe how food scraps change over a few weeks.
Quick recap
- The 3 Rs, in order, are reduce, reuse and recycle.
- Recycling collects, sorts, processes and remakes materials.
- Aluminum and glass can be recycled forever; paper and plastic have limits.
- Contamination spoils recycling; composting keeps food out of landfills.
- A circular economy keeps materials in use and reduces waste.