DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICAL ANALYSIS ON PAPER, PLASTIC, AND GLASS RECYCLING IN ONTARIO, CANADA

摘要

The Ontario municipal solid waste generation and disposal rates increased noticeably from 1996 to 2010, partly due to the 16% increase in population. The province has adopted a number of waste management initiatives and programs to divert non-hazardous wastes from landfills and other disposal facilities. The key objective of the present study was to statistically analyze the recycling trends of paper, plastic, and glass wastes in Ontario. A detailed assessment program was developed in this study. Waste management programs from Waste Diversion Ontario and the Recycling Council of Ontario during the study period were investigated and discussed. Waste recycling data was collected from Statistics Canada, and verified from other literature. Descriptive statistical analyses were performed to examine the temporal variability of the waste recycling behaviours and practices. Regression analyses and Mann-Kendall (MK) tests were conducted to quantify the waste recycling trends. It is found that the waste recycling rates have increased significantly during the study period. Approximately 85% increases were observed for both paper and glass recycling. The trend analysis also showed significant increasing trends for all three waste materials. Plastic wastes exhibited the strongest trends with the highest MK statistic value (S = +26) and a 99% level of significance. The recycling trends of paper and plastic materials were found to be significant at 80% and 90% levels of significance, with S values of +8 and +12, respectively.