The manner in which we deal with our ''waste" is a key part of the foundation of a sustainable world. Isn't sustainability another word for balance? We must learn how to use the world's resources such as wood, rocks, metals and oil in a more balanced manner.
Waste diversion is critical to mitigating climate change. In Canada we use more energy in producing products and packaging (45%) than we use for driving (10%), heating, cooling and lighting our homes (20%), combined! Significantly, more than 60% of the solid waste stream is organic material: wood, paper, foodscraps and leaf and yard material. Degrading in a landfill with little/no oxygen, this organic material produces methane and other GHGs -- now thought to be 70 times more potent than CO2 over it's shorter lifetime in the atmosphere (12-20 yrs vs. 100 yrs for CO2).
The major focuses of the Waste Diversion Campaign involve:
- increasing waste diversion (recyling and composting) rates
- increasing the implementation of greenbin collection programs
- reducing, reusing and recycling of: electronic waste, household furnishings, clothing, household hazardous waste and renovation debris