Ranking Canadian waste management system efficiencies using three waste performance indicators

Three waste management system (WMS) efficiency indicators are adopted to systematically assess WMS efficiency in Canada from 1998 to 2016. The study objectives are to examine the temporal changes in waste diversion activities and rank the performance of the jurisdictions using a qualitative analytical framework. Increasing Waste Management Output Index (WMOI) trends were identified in all jurisdictions, and more government subsidiaries and incentive packages are recommended. With the exception of Nova Scotia, statistically significant decreasing diversion gross domestic product (DGDP) ratio trends are observed. It appears that the increases in GDP from Sector 562 were not contributing to waste diversion. On average, Canada spent about $225/tonne of waste handled during the study period. Current spending per tonne handled (CuPT) trends are decreasing, with S ranging from + 5.15 to + 7.67. It appears that WMSs in Saskatchewan and Alberta are more efficient. The results suggest that the use of diversion rate alone to evaluate WMS may be misleading. The findings help the waste community to better understand the trade-offs between various waste management alternatives. The proposed qualitative framework utilizing comparative rankings is applicable elsewhere and can be a useful decision support tool for policy-makers.