Canadians are stuffing their blue boxes full, recycling larger quantities than ever and diverting more waste from landfills, Statistics Canada suggests in a report released Friday.

The average Canadian recycled 112 kilograms in 2004, up from 71 kilograms in 2000, the report said. The increase is in large part linked to better access to recycling programs across the country, said the study that also noted that Canadians were also producing greater quantities of waste.

'Households across the country sent nearly 3.6 million tonnes of materials for recycling in 2004, an increase of 65 per cent compared to 2000.'—Statistics Canada

In 2000, the average consumer produced 366 kilograms of residential waste, but by 2004 the figure had grown to 418 kilograms.

Recycling efforts have helped counterbalance the increase in trash, the study's authors, Avani Babooram and Jennie Wang, said in the report.

"Two-thirds of the increase in waste generation between 2000 and 2004 was offset by increased recycling, while the other third was disposed of in landfills and incinerators," the report said.

"Households across the country sent nearly 3.6 million tonnes of materials for recycling in 2004, an increase of 65 per cent compared to 2000."

The report found that the majority of households in Canada's provinces that had access to community recycling programs used them, irrespective of household income, education or type of home.

In 2006, 93 per cent of Canadian households had access to recycling programs for at least one of glass, paper, plastics and metal.

P.E.I. leads country in recycling access and use

P.E.I. has beefed up its recycling program considerably since 1994, the report said. Ninety-nine per cent of residents reported they had access to a recycling program, up from 21 per cent in 1994. Similarly, 99 per cent of residents reported actually using at least one recycling program, the report said. 

Top 3 recycled materials by weight
1. Organics 2. Newsprint 3. Cardboard and boxboard
Source: Statistics Canada

Nova Scotia trailed P.E.I., with 97 per cent of residents saying they had access to recycling programs and 99 per cent saying they used at least one recycling program. Ontario and British Columbia rounded out the top four provinces.

Manitobans trailed the country, with 90 per cent of households reporting access to recycling programs and 88 per cent saying they used the programs. Meanwhile, residents in other provinces reported doing the best they could with what facilities were available.

On the whole, provinces offered a range of recycling programs, with 88 per cent of people reporting access to programs for glass and paper, 87 per cent for plastic recycling and 86 per cent for metal cans.

The report noted, however, that access in Newfoundland and Labrador was limited, with 35 per cent of households having access to recycling for paper, 61 per cent to metal, 72 per cent to plastic and 75 per cent to glass.