TORONTO – Canadians are okay with getting their hands dirty*.
The latest data from Statistics Canada shows that over half of Canadian households – 61 per cent – participate in some form of good old fashion composting.
The rate more than doubles numbers from 1994, when just 23 per cent of Canadian households composted.
In 2011, the most recent data from StatsCan, 45 per cent of all households composted in the kitchen, and 68 per cent composted lawn or garden waste.
The majority – 63 per cent – used curbside collection systems in their communities, the rest opting for a compost bin or pile on their property.
Households in PEI and Nova Scotia were most likely to have composted, at 96 per cent and 94 per cent respectively.
StatsCan said the rates in these two Atlantic provinces reflect strict waste management regulations.
The provinces least likely to compost? Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador, who reported that 42 per cent and 43 per cent of households composted in 2011 respectively.
It’s likely not surprising that Canadians who lived in a single detached house were more likely to compost than apartment dwellers (50 per cent compared to 22 per cent).
*Editor’s note: Composting doesn’t have to get your hands dirty. You can wear gloves and save your manicure. Plus it reduces waste from landfills, produces nutrient-rich fertilizer for your garden, and is fun.
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