HALIFAX - A new solid waste disposal strategy for Nova Scotia has set a target of no more than 300 kilograms of waste per person per year by 2015.
That's a reduction for a province that has seen the total waste disposal per person drop from 743 kilograms per year in 1995 to the current level of 401 kilograms.
The updated plan says the province will work with municipalities, industry and the Resource Recovery Fund Board to find new ways to improve recycling and disposal rates.
There will also be an examination of potential incentives and existing regulations in order to increase waste diversion, while officials will also look at expanding industry responsibility for shouldering the cost of the disposal or recycling of certain products.
The strategy also calls on municipalities to work together to update regional plans to help finance recycling and composting programs.
The Environment Department plan says the percentage of waste material diverted to recycling and composting has reached a plateau since the province's initial waste management strategy in 1995 and there are still significant amounts of food and yard waste that end up in landfills.
