Economic Tools to Reduce Household Waste and Related Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Publish Date

April 2018

Type

guide

Author

Smart Prosperity Institute

Direct Link

https://institute.smartprosperity.ca/library/publications/economic-tools-reduce-household-waste-and-related-greenhouse-gas-emissions

Reducing and diverting waste can be an important step in GHG mitigation and Canada’s overall climate change approach. This Policy Brief focuses on economic policy tools to encourage waste prevention and diversion at the final consumer stage. The amount of household waste heading to landfills increased by 18% in Canada from 2002 to 2014. That is in contrast to our peer countries in the OECD where waste has been decreasing. Environmental pricing instruments are an important tool for helping reverse this trend. This Policy Brief focuses on economic policy tools to encourage waste prevention and diversion at the final consumer stage.