Annual Waste Management Survey

Detailed information for 2024

This survey collects information that will help Canadians understand the contributions that waste management activities make to Canada's economy and environment.

• Questionnaire(s) and reporting guide(s)
• Description
• Data sources and methodology

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.

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 Industry Survey: Business Sector: 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 20,000 or more), or waste management commissions or boards representing municipalities.

Note that missing from this list of classifications is NAICS 56291, Remediation Services. While in the same NAICS grouping as the waste management industry, this industry is not included as it does not provide waste management services as defined by the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment.

• Additional documentation

Instrument design

The majority of the questions remain unchanged from cycle to cycle. In 2022, more questions were added to diversify plastics to better understand the flows of plastics from generation through to final disposition. In 2023, a short version of the questionnaire was introduced to collect information on the odd years. 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: 2025-04-01 to 2026-10-01

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) .