| Canadians generate approximately 20.3 million tonnes of solid waste annually. In Ontario, the volume of waste generated in the Industrial, Commercial, and Institutional (IC&I) sectors is almost half of the total with the Residential sector making up the other half. Traditionally, waste management practices have employed the collect-transport-dispose approach; however, this is no longer a viable option. Location of landfills and incinerators by urban planners is becoming more and more difficult.;The government of Ontario has established a target to decrease the amount of waste disposed of in landfill by at least 50% by the year 2000. One strategy toward reaching this goal is the Ontario 3Rs Regulations. The purpose of these regulations is to ensure the IC&I sectors, as well as municipalities, develop programs to reduce the flow of valuable resources going to landfill. Diversion efforts such as waste audits, source separation, and recycling programs by IC&I facilities can significantly reduce the volume of solid waste requiring disposal. In addition to the environmental benefits that can be realized from waste diversion, remuneration from recyclable materials and cost avoidance from landfilling less, can often outweigh the cost of solid waste haulage and disposal in an IC&I location.;Markets and end uses for recyclable materials are expanding rapidly and the recyclable list continues to grow as end uses expand. With increased diversion by municipalities through expanded blue box programs, coupled with Industrial, Commercial, and Institutional efforts through source separation and recycling programs, Ontario will benefit from a decreased requirement for landfill sites. |
