Geography 208 Project: Canada's Waste Export to Developing Countries

This project analyzes Canada's practice of exporting waste to developing countries, primarily in Southeast Asia and China, highlighting the environmental and international implications. The study explores the concerns raised by these nations regarding the influx of Canadian garbage and the environmental damage caused by inadequate waste management practices and unlicensed recycling facilities. The project also examines Canada's waste generation rates, linked to urbanization and consumption patterns, and contrasts this with municipal waste management programs. The response of countries like the Philippines and China, including war threats and import bans, is discussed, alongside the role of initiatives like Vancouver's "Zero-Waste" program. The project concludes by emphasizing the friction caused by waste export and the need for improved waste management strategies in Canada to prevent environmental damage and international conflicts.

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Geography208
Name:
Institution:
Course number and name:
Instructor’s name:
12th February 2020

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Geography208
Canada’s garbage has been ending up in developing countries for some time now.
Countries are now saying no to Canada’s garbage for various reasons such as knowing the need
to conserve the environment. The Southeast Asian region has had several unlicensed recycling
factories coming up and hence leading to an increase in the trash imports in the countries. Over
time, there has been a growing concern by people regarding the environmental issues
surrounding the waste industry. Canada has been producing more waste per capita than any other
developed country. The result has been the waste being exported to other countries that have
recycling facilities as the waste management program by the Canadian municipal is not efficient
(Chiu, 2020). The waster per capita in Canada is the worst of any country in the world. The
generation of waste can be closely linked with the high rates of urbanization and the
consumption patterns in the country. The lifestyles and the household revenues in the country are
also great contributors to the waste problems experienced by Canada. The past few decades have
seen the per capita income in Canada increasing greatly and causing an upsurge in the household
consumption rates.
The southeastern nations are now fighting back against dumping and the culture of
recycling being brought to them by Canada. Shipping of the wastes to the foreign nations always
seems like a good idea to Canada but it is also threatening the environmental wellbeing of the
countries on the receiving end. As such, this practice has led to several uprisings in countries
such as Malaysia, the Philippines, and China. These developing nations are increasingly growing
weary of the damage being done to their environments by the Canadians (Chiu, 2020). The
Philippines' response to Canada’s garbage was a war threat if the country did not take back the
containers filled with garbage. China, on the other hand, blocked the importation of plastic

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wastes from Canada to their country. China’s move blocked more than 7-million tons of plastic
trash flowing into their country every year.
There are no conventional garbage cans on the sidewalks in Vancouver. The conventional
trash bins are fewer in Vancouver, especially areas with the highest traffic. There is a continuous
replacement of these trash bins in the country with larger bins that can hold much garbage. The
larger bins are also offering recycling options to the city’s municipal body. The public has an
opportunity to prevent a landfill of garbage by the on-street recycling stations. A “Zero-Waste”
initiative in Vancouver aims at having larger-capacity bins for recycling in all areas of the city.
The initiative has been present in the city since the year 2016. The cans are being concentrated
in the high-traffic areas due to both the environment and the economic factors (Drolet, 2019,
May 29). The city officials have an increased desire to keep the sidewalks clean fin order to
create ample space for pedestrians to walk. The city officials are also in agreement that larger
capacity stations can assist in reducing the overflow of trash in the city. Hence, there is less
littering in the environment. The city has more than 3,100 waste receptacles distributed among
the sidewalks and the parking spaces. The larger-capacity recycling stations can hold up to 720
liters of trash.
In conclusion, the garbage issue between Canada and the developing countries in the
Southeast Asian region and China is causing friction. Poor waste management has led to
Canada’s solid waste ending up in foreign nations and threatening international peace. A good
example is the Philippines' threat of a war declaration against Canada. There are many options
given to the Vancouver solid waste management team as there are more options for the users to
separate the materials into three canisters. The bins can be separated into sections holding either
containers, papers, or garbage. Other populations do not have conventional litter cans. This has

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assisted in reducing the waste level as the city now has recycling stations. The waster growth in
Canada is great due to the lifestyle and the economic statuses of Canadians.

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References
Chiu, J., (2020). How does Canada’s garbage end up in developing countries, and how are
Southeast Asian nations fighting back? thestar.com. Accessed on 3/22/2020. Retrieved
from: https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2019/05/30/how-does-canadas-garbage-end-
up-in-developing-countries-and-how-are-southeast-asian-nations-fighting-back.html
Drolet, M., (2019, May 29). Canada can expect more nations to send trash back: expert.
Global News. https://globalnews.ca/news/5327533/canada-waste-recycling-asian-
countries/