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Getting to knowImpacts on Solid Waste Infrastructure

A dozer travels across the surface of a large landfill site over mixed waste and debris.
Photo credit: Adobe Stock
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Overview

With aging landfills and the rapid development of material recovery programs and to address the societal push toward more efficient use of waste and resources, increased pressure on communities to divert waste streams from landfills, impacts of climate change to waste management services can have significant impacts to communities.


Recyclable materials, organics, construction and demolition materials, hazardous waste all require unique management, in addition to the disposal of non-divertable waste, which varies depending on the municipality’s capacity to support multiple waste and recovery streams. In a disaster event, debris, construction and demolition waste, and contaminated waste can result in increased amounts of material to be processed and disposed of at landfills. For diversion programs, materials normally diverted through mixed recycling streams may become contaminated and difficult or impossible to separate, resulting in more waste disposed of in landfills.


Climate hazards may also affect the collection routes, collection vehicles, and the roads leading to landfills.


To review impacts on collection and fleet vehicles, see Getting to Know: Impacts on Fleet and Public Transit.


To review impacts on waste routes and roads, see Getting to Know: Impacts on Transportation Infrastructure.

Table 1. Condition of Solid Waste Infrastructure

Photo credit / crédit photo: Canadian Infrastructure Report Card (CIRC), 2019


This page provides an overview of the direct and of climate change hazards on solid waste facilities for many Canadian communities.

Direct Impacts - Flooding

Direct Impacts - Extreme Heat

Direct Impacts - Wildfire

Direct Impacts - Permafrost Thaw

Indirect Impacts

What would you like to do next?
Explore the likelihood of climate hazards
Visit your location on the Climate Insight map and access a snap-shot of the current and future likelihoods of climate related hazards occurring in the selected location.
Complete a high level climate risk assessment
Complete an easy to use, online risk assessment tool to begin to understand the level of risk which infrastructure, housing, and projects may experience in a changing climate.
Use the Climate Help Desk at Housing, Infrastructure, and Communities Canada to ask questions and get direct support on infrastructure and climate.