Quantification of solid waste management system efficiency using input–output indices

The assessment of solid waste management systems is vital for continued improvement in the efficiency of waste management systems (WMSs). Many studies have aimed to develop metrics that examine policy and system effectiveness, but there appears to be a lack of simple and comparable metrics to evaluate the WMS efficiency. This study introduces a set of novel waste diversion indicators, including a jurisdictionally comparable index known as diversion size indicator (DSI), and employs them to analyze WMSs in Canada. DSI increased in only a single province Nova Scotia during the 14-year study period. The DSI variability was largest for all Prairie Provinces, indicating that large efficiency changes in these province’s WMSs over the study period. Combining all proposed metrics into a single rank showed that Saskatchewan outperformed all other Canadian jurisdictions, balancing diversion rate goals well with cost efficiency. Findings indicate that Alberta and Ontario rank very low in diversion efficiency and tonnage hauled efficiency. Also, Nova Scotia, the DSI leader, ranks lowest in terms of costs per tonne handled. Data availability remains a large barrier to a complete evaluation of WMSs. Nonetheless, the proposed original metrics create a framework for creating comparable and easy to use metrics for waste management efficiency.