Garbage crisis: our waste by the numbers

Did you know Vancouver produces 3.6 million tonnes of garbage a year?

The garbage produced per capita in 2007 was 3.6 tonnes, up by a whole ton from 1997!

Where does our garbage go?

Vancouver landfill (Delta): 40%
Cache Creek landfill: 37%
Burnaby waste-to-energy incinerator: 23%

Distance, Vancouver to Cache Creek: 345 km

Truckloads per day, Vancouver landfill: 40

Truckloads per day, Cache Creek landfill: 42

Remaining capacity, Vancouver landfill: 19.5 million tonnes

Remaining capacity, Cache Creek landfill: 7.7 million tonnes

Cache Creek landfill current level: 92% full

Diversion rate (garbage that's recycled, not disposed of): 55%

Household waste

Portion that is organic: 45%

Portion that could be composted: 50%

Portion of garbage that is food waste: 13%

Lifespan of a recycled aluminum can (manufacture-recycle-refill): 6 weeks

Lifespan of a discarded aluminum can (until disintegration): 300 years

Electronic waste

Amount diverted from landfill: 4,200 tonnes

(Since B.C.'s province-wide Return-It Electronics Program was implemented in August 2007)

Items that can be dropped off free of charge at collection sits around B.C.: Computers, modems, printers, fax machines, TVs (see www.rcbc.bc.ca)

Items to be added to the list of recyclables as of July 2010:
Stereos, VCRs, cellular phones and other hand-held devices