EnviroStats, Spring 2008

In this issue

Articles

Disposal of household special wastes

John Marshall

Households across the country regularly produce special wastes ranging from dead batteries to old paint containers. This study focuses on four special wastes for which information was collected in the 2006 Households and the Environment Survey—leftover or expired medication, dead batteries, old computer and communication equipment and leftover paint. Despite the environmental, health and safety risks posed by improper disposal of household special waste, many of these items end up on the curb. [Full article in HTML]

Is composting organic waste spreading?

Amanda Elliott

Diverting organic waste is one way of reducing the amount of waste being sent to landfills. Materials such as food waste and leaf and yard trimmings are often composted at home using compost bins or they are collected curbside and processed at centralized composting facilities. The study examines composting in Canada using data from the Waste Management Industry Survey and the Households and the Environment Survey. It finds that while diversion of all waste materials is on the rise, the Canadian compost pile is growing particularly rapidly. [Full article in HTML]

Agricultural water use in Canada

François Soulard, Martin S. Beaulieu and Caroline Fric

Water is an essential input for crop and animal production. This article, based on the study "Estimation of Water Use in Canadian Agriculture in 2001," maps agricultural water use across the country. [Full article in HTML]

Updates

Read about recent and upcoming releases, and new activities in the areas of environmental and sustainable development statistics. [Full article in HTML]

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