Annual Waste Management Survey
Detailed information for 2023
Status:
Active
Frequency:
Annual
Record number:
2009
This survey collects information that will help Canadians understand the contributions that waste management activities make to Canada's economy and environment.
Description
The survey provides comprehensive information about waste generated by Canadians, waste disposed and diverted from landfills, and their sources. This information is collected annually from businesses and government / public entities that provide waste management services, and every two years from retailers and other organizations that participate in diversion programs outside of the waste management stream.
These data are used by local governments, Environment Canada and various other public and private clients. The data are also input to the Canadian System of Environmental-Economic Accounts.
Reference period: Fiscal year
Collection period: Spring and summer following the reference year
Subjects
- Environment
- Environmental protection
Data sources and methodology
Target population
IN-SCOPE WASTE MANAGEMENT BUSINESSES SECTOR
The target population includes all firms operating in Canada that provide waste management services.
The survey frame is based on information from the previous survey, supplemented and updated with information from the Statistics Canada Business Register (BR) and industry directories. Firms selected from the BR are a subset of Waste management and remediation services, North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) 562.
The following NAICS classifications are considered to be "in scope" for the Waste Management Survey: 56211, Waste collection; 56221, Waste treatment and disposal; and 56292, Material recovery facilities.
IN-SCOPE LOCAL GOVERNMENTS THAT PROVIDE OR MAKE PROVISION FOR WASTE MANAGEMENT SERVICES
The target population for this survey of waste management practices includes all large municipalities (population of 5,000 or more), or waste management commissions or boards representing municipalities.
Instrument design
The majority of the questions remain unchanged from cycle to cycle. In 2020, questions were added to capture specific information related to non-traditional waste management streams. In 2022, more questions were added to diversify plastics to better understand the flows of plastics from generation through to final disposition. In 2023, the questions are a subset related to the collection, transportation, and preparation or processing of non-hazardous recyclable materials and of organic materials.
Sampling
IN-SCOPE WASTE MANAGEMENT BUSINESSES SECTOR
This is a census with a revenue cut-off.
IN-SCOPE LOCAL GOVERNMENTS THAT PROVIDE OR MAKE PROVISION FOR WASTE MANAGEMENT SERVICES
This is a census with a population cut-off.
Data sources
Data collection for this reference period: 2024-04-02 to 2024-10-08
Responding to this survey is mandatory.
Data are collected directly from survey respondents and alternate data sources, such as other Statistics Canada surveys.
Data are collected using an electronic questionnaire. Respondents are emailed invitation letters and Secure Access Code letters. A letter explaining the purpose of the survey, the requested return date and the legal requirements of response are included as a package in the email invitation.
Follow-up procedures are applied when a questionnaire has not been received after a pre-specified period of time. Note that the questionnaire is available in both English and French versions.
View the Questionnaire(s) and reporting guide(s) .
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