VANCOUVER, B.C.–Vancity Credit Union has released a report that examines what kind of job residents of British Columbia are doing in reducing solid waste and diverting materials to recycling and compost facilities.
Vancity Credit Union has been active in sustainable practices and other environmental support.
The report found residents of the province are doing a better job than people in other areas and have curtailed their production of waste.
The report, “State of Waste: How B.C. compares in the war on trash,” found the Delta, B.C. community has emerged as Metro Vancouver’s biggest producer of domestic trash, generating 465 kilograms for every single family residence in 2017, while Vancouver more than doubled North Vancouver’s production per single family residence.
Most solid waste produced in the region consists of construction debris, uneaten food and soiled paper.
Other Findings
The Vancity report also found:
- B.C. produced 549 kilograms of garbage per person in 2016, which is 30% less than the national average but almost 60% more than a province-wide target for the year 2020.
- B.C. diverted 40% of its solid municipal waste from landfill and incineration to recycling and compost facilities, more than all other Canadian provinces except Nova Scotia, but well behind a common regional and municipal target of 80% for the year 2020.
- Spoiled and uneaten food – most of which could be diverted as compost – represents about 25% of all residential garbage that is either thrown into B.C. landfills or is incinerated.
- Half of all waste diverted in Metro Vancouver in 2016 came from the demolition, construction and land-clearing sector, with concrete the most common material diverted.
“B.C. is a leader when it comes to waste reduction and diversion, but more strategies are needed to track and improve results,” said Morgan Beall, Vancity’s environmental sustainability portfolio manager. “The province’s capacity to absorb waste is constantly being stretched. We all have a responsibility to eliminate waste.”