Sustainability Initiatives

The main function of the provincial government is to develop, implement, and enforce legislation. For example, anyone collecting, transporting, processing, storing or disposing of solid waste requires a permit and the permits are issued by the province or territory. The provincial government is also responsible for defining the types of waste disposal facilities and taking part in the Environmental Impact Assessment that is required of all new waste management facilities.

The main provincial legal instruments in Manitoba that deal with solid waste management are the Environment Act, The Dangerous Goods Handling and Transportation Act, the Manitoba Hazardous Waste Management Corporation Act and the Waste Reduction and Prevention Act.

According to The Environment Act, the Province of Manitoba defines waste as "rubbish, litter, junk, or junked obsolete or derelict motor vehicles, or obsolete or derelict equipment, appliances or machinery; slimes, tailings, fumes, waste of domestic, municipal, mining, factory or industrial origin; effluent or sewage; human or animal wastes; solid or liquid manure; or waste products of any kind whatsoever or the run-off from such wastes".

The Dangerous Goods Handling and Transportation Act is responsible for the handling and transportation of any dangerous goods in the province where "dangerous goods" means any product, substance or organism designated in the regulations, or conforming with the criteria set out in the regulations, or in any regulation adopted in accordance with this Act, and includes hazardous wastes (Dangerous Goods Handling and Transportation Act).

The Manitoba Hazardous Waste Management Corporation Act deals with issues pertaining to hazardous waste including facilities, collection, storage, recycling and disposal.

The Waste Reduction and Prevention Act. The purpose of this Act is to "reduce and prevent the production and disposal of waste in the province consistent with the principles of sustainable development…" (Waste Reduction and Prevention Act). Therefore, the province has programs that encourage people to reduce, reuse and recycle.

The Sustainable Development Act.. The purpose of this Act is to provide a "framework through which sustainable development will be implemented in the provincial public sector and promoted in private industry and in society generally." According to the Act, this includes "reducing, reusing, recycling, and recovering the products of society."

In Manitoba, Manitoba Conservation is the main department that deals with environmental issues. Within Manitoba Conservation there is a branch known as the Pollution Prevention Branch. This Branch manages the Waste Reduction and Prevention Act and is active in Waste Reduction Programs. Further information about Waste Reduction can be found on the Pollution Prevention Branch site.

Municipal governments are responsible for establishing systems of collection, removal and disposal of waste within their municipality. The municipal government is responsible for passing by-laws pertaining to garbage collection, recycling and composting, and for determining where landfill sites shall be located.

The municipal authorities, in cooperation with the provincial government, may also be involved in the regulations that govern treatment, storage and disposal of hazardous wastes.

To find out about recycling and waste disposal in your municipality, visit the Local Recycling Info page.

The main federal statutes that deal with solid waste management are the Indian Act and the National Parks Act. Other federal legislation that relates to solid waste management includes: the Canadian Environmental Protection Act and the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Act. The Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment has produced guidelines related to waste management.

The National Parks Act contains the National Park Garbage Regulations which require operators to collect wastes and deliver them to an approved site within the park.

The Indian Act contains the Reserve Waste Disposal Regulations which require operators to have a permit to operate a landfill or to dump waste onto reserve land.

The Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) contains the Export and Import of Hazardous Wastes Regulations which regulate the movement of any hazardous waste in or out of the country. Under CEPA, the federal government also regulates the storage, handling and disposal of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBS).

The Transportation of Dangerous Goods Act regulates the transboundary movement of any dangerous goods. This includes interprovincial, and international movement of dangerous solid wastes.

The Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME) has produced a number of guidelines that apply to various aspects of solid waste management including: storage, collection, disposal, recycling and emissions guidelines for incinerators. CCME guidelines apply to regular solid waste as well as hazardous waste.

There are several departments within the Federal Government that have additional information about Waste Management in Canada. One of these departments is Environment Canada. Some of the topics that are discussed on the Environment Canada website include: composting, hazardous waste, legislation/regulations, recycling, soil, water and marine etc. Natural Resources Canada is also involved in preserving the environment in Canada. Their main role is within the natural resources sector, including forests, energy, minerals and landmass.

To find out about recycling and waste disposal in your municipality, visit the Local Recycling Info page.

Waste is Everyone's Responsibility

In Canada, the municipal, provincial and federal governments all play a role in managing solid waste and recycling. The provinces are responsible for dealing with most aspects of solid waste. However, the federal and the municipal government are also involved. The federal government deals with solid waste on federal lands, First Nations Reserves and within federal facilities. The municipal governments are responsible for systems of collection and disposal of waste within their community.