Municipal Waste Municipal waste contributes to several environmental problems including habitat destruction, surface and groundwater pollution and other forms of air, soil and water contamination. Depending on the disposal method, there may be other negative consequences, such as the creation of toxic substances through incineration. The result is problems such as those faced by metropolitan Toronto, which is experiencing difficulty finding a viable landfill location for its garbage. Although in theory there is plenty of room in Canada for landfill sites, few locations are without vocal opposition from local communities and residents.
Municipal waste is also very expensive.
Canadians spend billions annually to collect, transport and dispose of municipal waste. Canada's OECD Ranking Canada ranks 18th out of 29 OECD nations in terms of municipal waste per person. Again Canada is firmly in the bottom half of the industrialized nations. Canadians produced 490 kg of municipal waste per person in 1997, slightly below the OECD average of 500 kg. Canada also ranks 18th out of 29 OECD nations in total municipal waste generated.