Integrated Waste Management

Canada’s municipal solid waste stream has a complex blend of products with differing characteristics. Any long-term waste management program must recognize these differences, matching each component with the most suitable technology for safe, economical and effective results.  

An integrated waste management (IWM) approach selectively uses reduction, reuse, recycling, energy recovery and retention in landfill by evaluating the life cycle environmental and economic effects of waste management decisions. This is the most effective approach to managing municipal solid waste.  

The IWM computer model, commissioned by Corporations Supporting Recycling (CSR) and CPIA, is an analytical tool which evaluates the environmental and energy effects of waste management processes throughout their life cycle. It’s a tool that municipal waste managers can use as a guide to evaluate the environmental performance of the various elements in their existing or proposed waste management systems.

View the IWM Model.