Integrating stewardship and resource recovery: A dual-faceted analysis of e-waste and used oil management practices of Canadian provinces

Abstract

Canada faces significant challenges in waste management, driven by high per capita waste generation. To address these issues, the country has implemented various waste management stewardship programs aimed at improving waste collection and resource recovery. This study examines the crucial role of stewardship in managing e-waste and used automotive resources including used oil, filters and containers. By focusing on stewardship practices, it highlights how effective management can improve collection rates, enhance resource recovery, and strengthen financial performance. The analysis emphasizes the importance of stewardship approaches to handling these special waste types, illustrating their potential to reduce environmental impact while optimizing resource use across Canadian provinces. The first part presents a comprehensive analysis of e-waste collection and management trends across six Canadian provinces, focusing on e-waste collection rates, provincial stewardship model attributes, program strategies and budget allocations from 2013 to 2020. Temporal and regression analyses were conducted using data from Electronic Product Recycling Association reports. The analysis emphasizes the significant impact of stewardship model attributes on e-waste collection rates, with Quebec emerging as a standout case, showcasing a remarkable 61.5% surge in collection rates. Findings from group analysis reveal a positive correlation between per capita e-waste collection rate and the growth of businesses and collection sites in Western Canada. This highlights the potential benefits of a coordinated waste management approach, emphasizing the importance of shared resources and collaborative policies. Financial aspects of e-waste management are also explored, revealing opportunities for improvement in Saskatchewan and Manitoba, where average allocations to e-waste collection efficiency stand at 6.6% and 7%, respectively. A 40.5% decrease in e-waste collection rates was observed in British Columbia, indicating additional public awareness campaigns may be required, as an 8% decline in consumer outreach was observed during the study period. The first part recommends leveraging region-specific needs to establish a collaborative approach, enhancing e-waste collection efforts. The second part addresses a gap in evaluating the recovery management systems for used oil, filters, and containers. The performance of resources recovery was examined in four Canadian provinces from 2010 to 2022 within automobile industry. The collection rates of resources, financial performance, and temporal changes of two original indicators: Resource Recovery Per Vehicle (RRPV), and Expenses Per Vehicle (EXPV) were examined. British Columbia and Quebec had the highest collection rates of used oil, filters, and containers (mean ranging 83.0 to 92.9%). Despite having the lowest mean collection rate of used oil (71.0%) and filters (78.7%), Saskatchewan has significant RRPV for used oil (20.4 liters) and filters (2.12 units). Decreasing RRPV (-0.01 to -0.38) trends were identified in all jurisdictions, suggesting the need for targeted recovery strategies towards automotive sectors. A mild increasing trend of EXPV in all jurisdictions is observed (slope +0.02 to +0.08). Quebec exhibited the most efficient resource recovery, with EXPV ranging from CAD 2.4 to CAD 3.3 per unit vehicle. Profit margin analysis revealed consistently high margins of 8.6% in Quebec, contrasting with Manitoba's lower 1.32%. The lower profit margin may partly be due to higher administrative costs (16.2%). The findings highlight the potential benefits of the proposed RRPV and EXPV indicators in evaluating management systems for used oil, filters, and containers.