Recycling jumps when garbage collection drops, new research shows

Phys.org

March 3, 2026

Despite some modest progress over the past two decades, Canada's waste diversion efforts remain wanting: according to the Canadian government, only 27% of the country's waste is recycled, composted, or otherwise diverted from disposal. In 2022, 26.6 million tons of solid waste wound up in landfills or was incinerated—an 11% increase from 2002.