Recycling is the practice of processing dry materials from waste in order to create a new product suitable for reuse.  The types of materials appropriate for recyling, such as paper, plastic, glass and metal, make up a large proportion of the waste from Canadian households.  Within Canada, 30 to 40 percent of potential landfill waste can be recovered for recycling, with some geographic variation based on the extent to which the specific type of recycling facility is located close by.  When composting of organics is also considered, a total waste diversion of 70 to 80 percent can theoretically be achieved (1), as shown in Figure 1. 



Figure 1: Residential waste composition in Ontario (2)

The availability of locations to properly collect and store recyclables within building complexes is one of the most important factors determining the extent to which waste will be diverted from landfills.  As such, the establishment of a solid waste policy that encourages substantial waste diversion is a prerequisite for LEED certification.  The amount of space dedicated to recycling collection within residential buildings should be based on the size of the building and number of tenants.  For optimal effectiveness, high rise buildings could have a separate trash shoot for each type of recyclable, and these could be made available on every floor. 

Local requirements for collection and storage of recyclables are determined municipal governments.  Within Ontario, the provincial government has had legislation in place since the early 1990s to mandate that all municipalities with more than 5,000 residents implement a 'Blue Box Program'  for household recycling of glass, plastic, metal and paper products.  Since then, the range of household waste materials diverted from landfills as part of municipal waste management programs has continued to expand.  Organic materials, including kitchen and other compostable wastes, are also collected as part of a 'Green Bin Program', which has been implemented in several municipalities in across Ontario over the past few years.  Waste collected through this program is converted to compost and biofuel over a seven month process.  

Sources:
¹ Federation of Canadian Municipalities, 2004.  Solid Waste as a Resource: Review of Waste Technologies.
² Ontario Ministry of Environment, 2004. Ontario's 60% Waste Diversion Goal: A Discussion Paper.