Ranking Canadian waste management system efficiencies using three waste performance indicators.

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Resource Management
• Public Policy

Background:

• Waste management systems (WMS) efficiency in Canada requires systematic assessment.
• Temporal changes in waste diversion activities and jurisdictional performance need examination.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically assess WMS efficiency in Canada from 1998 to 2016.
• To examine temporal changes in waste diversion and rank jurisdictional performance.
• To propose a qualitative analytical framework for WMS evaluation.

Main Methods:

• Adoption of three WMS efficiency indicators.
• Qualitative analytical framework for comparative rankings.
• Analysis of temporal trends in Waste Management Output Index (WMOI), diversion gross domestic product (DGDP) ratio, and Current spending per tonne handled (CuPT).

Main Results:

• Increasing WMOI trends observed across all Canadian jurisdictions.
• Statistically significant decreasing DGDP ratio trends noted, except in Nova Scotia.
• Decreasing CuPT trends indicate potential WMS efficiency gains, with Saskatchewan and Alberta showing higher efficiency.
• The study suggests that diversion rate alone may be a misleading indicator of WMS performance.

Conclusions:

• WMS efficiency in Canada is improving in output but faces challenges in linking economic growth to waste diversion.
• Government subsidiaries and incentive packages are recommended to boost waste diversion.
• The proposed qualitative framework offers a valuable decision support tool for policymakers and aids in understanding trade-offs in waste management.