Statistics Canada releases data every two years on household waste disposal. The latest data are from 2024 and were released earlier this summer.
Digging deeper by province and territory and on a per-capita basis, using annual population estimates, let’s get the details on the 11.1 million tonnes of residential waste generated nationwide in 2024, up by 158 046 tonnes from 2022 (+1.4%). Over the same period, the estimated population increased 5.9%.
Quebec throws out less waste in 2024 than it did in 2022; Ontario tosses out less per person
Quebec households threw out almost 3.2 million tonnes of waste in 2024, second among provinces to Ontario (4.0 million tonnes) and down by 115 224 tonnes from 2022. In 2024, that worked out to 353 kilograms (kg) per Quebecer—the highest per-capita amount among provinces and territories.
Conversely, while there was less waste generated per Ontarian in 2024 (249 kg) compared with 2022, the province-wide total increased by 151 834 tonnes.
Slightly more waste at Atlantic curbs, but less per person
Households in Newfoundland and Labrador (162 447 tonnes), Prince Edward Island (21 112) and Nova Scotia (180 138) all threw out more trash in 2024 than in 2022, while New Brunswick (238 408) tossed less.
However, at 117 kg per person, Prince Edward Island residents had the lowest per-capita amount of waste among provinces and territories, followed by Nova Scotia (166 kg). New Brunswick (278 kg) and Newfoundland and Labrador (297 kg) were in the middle of the pack nationally.
Mixed bags in Prairies, Pacific and territories
Following a similar trend to some other provinces was Saskatchewan, where the 399 238 tonnes tossed by households in 2024 was down from 2022, but the 320 kg of waste per resident in 2024 was the second highest in Canada.
In 2024, Manitoba (206 kg) was the third lowest among provinces and territories in per-capita terms , and its 307 475 tonnes of total waste was also a decline from 2022.
British Columbia was close behind, at 207 kg per resident in 2024. Overall, that province’s households generated almost 1.2 million tonnes of waste in 2024, up considerably from 2022 (+41 962 tonnes).
There were 278 kg of waste per Albertan in 2024, tying that province with New Brunswick, though Alberta’s overall total of nearly 1.4 million tonnes was also a substantial increase from 2022 (+93 259 tonnes).
Households in the three territories combined to throw out 36 891 tonnes of waste in 2024, or 275 kg per person. They threw out slightly less overall than in 2022.
Households are diverting more waste
Although households threw out more trash in 2024, rates of diverting materials away from the trash and into recycling and composting bins also increased. Read the first story in the “You may also like” section below for further details!
A landfill of additional data
Stay tuned to StatsCAN Plus next week for a story on non-residential sources of waste and diversion.
Contact information
For more information, contact the Statistical Information Service (toll-free 1-800-263-1136; 514-283-8300; infostats@statcan.gc.ca) or Media Relations (statcan.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.statcan@statcan.gc.ca).