Solid waste management in small & remote Arctic communities*
SWM practices are different from country to country in the Arctic. There are also differences of how wastes are managed in the large cities compared to the smaller often Indigenous communities.
But the commonalities seen across the Arctic are the unique challenges of isolation, extreme weather, and transportation costs.
The vast expanse of the Arctic is primarily populated by small rural communities, not connected to a primary, or in many cases any, road system. These small, remote, and predominantly Indigenous populations face the greatest waste management challenges. Poor economies-of-scale and high transportation costs, together with related issues of expensive infrastructure, difficult operation and maintenance, and complex socioeconomic issues mean conventional solutions are often not successful.
Waste infrastructure is less-developed and fewer financial and human resources are available. Unlined, unsegregated, sprawling landfills with open burning are common in rural Alaska and Canada communities without road access. Remote communities in Greenland and Russia face similar issues. Additionally, due to cost and convenience, some rural households in Lapland resort to home barrel-burning and illegal dumping.
With all of these practices, leachate migration, surface runoff, and windblown and eroding waste contaminates and litters nearby water and land, and residents can be exposed to disease vectors when discarding wastes or can inhale toxic smoke coming from disposal sites that are often proximate to homes and schools.
The purpose of this website is to improve and bolster local capacity in small, remote, Arctic communities for solid waste and related marine litter & debris management. We share existing documents and resources, best practices, case studies, lessons learned, and success stories across the Arctic to serve as an online exchange network for Arctic community solid waste management planning and implementation.
Best Practices
Best practices were defined as purposefully performed operations which mitigate or prevent human, flora, and fauna exposure to harmful contaminants and disease vectors. The best practice operations that consistently surfaced in research interviews are listed below. A goal of the study was that any Northern Arctic community would be able to identify and replicate one or more best practice.
Safer Waste Burning
Policy and Procedures to minimize smoke inhalation and direct and indirect particulate matter and other aerosol ingestion or absorption.
Landfill Access Control
Infrastructure to reduce resident contact with waste and to facilitate fee payment if needed.
Mandatory Collection Program
Minimizes cross-transmission of disease and resident contact with waste. Minimizes landfill maintenance duties which reduces cost, allowing better use of resources.
Landfill & Equipment Maintenance
Operations to minimize disease transmission, surface runoff, leachate migration, marine debris & litter, and extend life of high capital items such as landfill and heavy equipment.
Hazardous and Other Harmful Wastes Appropriate Handling
Safe disposal, storage or backhaul of wastes that due to volume or toxicity can be anticipated to cause significant harm.
Regional Special Waste Programs
Taking advantage of any available regional facilities and programs that handle special wastes when they result in program savings, or needed landfill capacity.
Specific Program Design
Molding program operations to fit community needs, spending resources on specific problematic practices or infrastructure needs that most impact
- Best Waste Management Practices Used in Remote Arctic Communities in Alaska, Canada, and Finland.
- Best Practice Case Studies were also developed as part of the study.
- For guidance for how to carry out best solid waste management practices, see the Waste Management Planning and other sections of the Documents/Resources page.
Case Studies
SDWG Arctic Council Solid Waste Management Best Practices Desk Study Case Studies
Relevancy
Best practice exhibited is impactful to significant health, environment, or economic concerns.
Replicability
Absence of unique factors playing a substantial role in best practice feasibility such as tourism base, nearby regional waste facility, specialized equipment.
Applicability
Population size < 1,500 pp, remoteness of community, Arctic.
SDWG Arctic Council Solid Waste Management Best Practices Desk Study Case Studies
Publications
2021
Solid Waste Management in the Arctic
2019
Best Waste Management Practices Used in Remote Arctic Communities in Alaska, Canada, and Finland
2017
Solid Waste Management for Northern and Remote Communities. Planning and Technical Guidance Document
Documents and Resources by Topic
Country Specific Overview Solid Waste Documents
- State of Waste Management in Canada, Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment 2014
- Report On Current State Of Solid Waste Management And Facilities In Nunavut And Cost-Benefit Analysis Of Selected Solid Waste Management Approaches March, 2011
- Study of NWT Waste Management Systems, Vol. 1: Community Waste Management Profiles and Site Inspections 2016
- Yukon Solid Waste Action Plan
- Government of Nunavut, Department of Environment. Solid Waste Management in Nunavut: A Backgrounder.
- First Nation – Municipal Community Infrastructure Partnership Project, 2017
Waste Management Planning
- Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM). March 2004. Solid Waste as a Resource: Workbook for Sustainable Communities.
- Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM). 2009. Getting to 50% and Beyond: Waste Diversion Success Stories from Canadian Municipalities.
- Government of Northwest Territories, Department of Environment and Natural Resources. January 2015. Developing a Community-Based Hazardous Waste Management Plan. Available on request.
- Mackenzie Valley Land and Water Board. March 2011. Guidelines for Developing a Waste Management Plan.
- United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA). March 2013. Developing a Tribal Integrated Waste Management Plan.
- Zender Environmental Health and Research Group, 2021, Alaska Integrated Solid Waste Plan Template.
- Alaska Native Health Board and Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium. Rural Alaska Integrated Waste Management Reference Manual and Planning Resource Guide.
- Solid Waste Program Budgeting for Alaska Tribal Communities Step-by-Step Instructions on How to Develop a Budget for Your Solid Waste Utility
Waste Audits/Characterization
Incineration and Open Burning
Operations and Maintenance
- ARKTIS Solutions Inc. December 2012. Foundation Report for a Technical Document on Municipal Solid Waste Landfills in Northern Conditions: Engineering Design, Construction, and Operation. Prepared for Environment and Climate Change Canada. Available on request.
- Ferguson Simek Clark Engineers & Architects. 2003. Guidelines for the Planning, Design, Operations and Maintenance of Modified Solid Waste Sites in the Northwest Territories. Prepared for Government of Northwest Territories, Department of Municipal and Community Affairs.
- Government of Newfoundland and Labrador. May 2010. Guidance Document: Environmental Standards for Municipal Solid Waste Landfill Sites.
- Government of Yukon, Environment Yukon. May 2014. Siting Requirements for Public Waste Disposal Facilities.
- Kativik Regional Government, Municipal Public Works Department. 2020. Nunavik Residual Materials Management Plan 2021 – 2027 (Final)
Operator Training
- BEAHR Environmental Training Opportunities for Aboriginal Communities, Solid Waste Coordinator Course:
- Compost Council of Canada, Compost Facility Operator Courses:
- Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Institute of Canada, Environmental Awareness Course:
- Managing Hazardous Waste in Your Community Video:
- Nunavut Municipal Training Organization, Hazardous Waste Management Course:
- Northwest Territories Municipal and Community Affairs Water and Waste Management Training
- Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA), Northern Lights Chapter Training Courses:
- Transport Canada. Transportation of Dangerous Goods Training Database:
- Yukon River Inter-Tribal Watershed Council, Hazardous Waste Operator Training:
- Alaska Forum on the Environment, Rural Alaska Landfill Operator Training
- Backhaul Alaska Training for Hazardous Wastes
- Solid Waste Program Budgeting for Alaska Tribal Communities Step-by-Step Instructions on How to Develop a Budget for Your Solid Waste Utility
- Yukon River Inter-Tribal Watershed Council, Hazardous Waste Operator Training:
- Zender Environmental Solid Waste Trainings in Alaska
- Zender Environmental Rural Alaska Community Environmental Job Training Program (RACEJT)
Hazardous and Special Waste
- Alberta Recycling Management Authority. Electronics Recycling Program.
- Call2Recycle (cell phone and battery recycling).
- Ecology North and Government of Northwest Territories Department of Environment and Natural Resources. Video: Managing Hazardous Waste in Your Community:
- Environment and Climate Change Canada. 2004. Mercury-containing Product Stewardship: Manual for Federal Facilities.
- Environment and Climate Change Canada. 2015. Hazardous Waste and Hazardous Recyclable Material.
- Environment and Climate Change Canada. 2017. Code of Practice for the Environmentally Sound Management of End-of-life Lamps Containing Mercury
- Government of Northwest Territories, Department of Environment and Natural Resources. February 1998. Guideline for the General Management of Hazardous Waste in the NWT.
- Government of Northwest Territories, Department of Environment and Natural Resources. January 2015. Developing a Community-Based Hazardous Waste Management Plan. Available on request.
- Government of Northwest Territories, Department of Environment and Natural Resources. 2016. Electronics Recycling Program.
- Government of Nunavut, Department of Environment. January 2011. End-of-life Vehicle Hazardous Materials Recovery Program Manual.
- Government of Nunavut, Department of Environment. Various Environmental Guidelines.
- Government of Yukon, Environment Yukon. April 2002. Special Waste Handling Guidelines for Owners and Operators of Solid Waste Disposal Facilities.
- Scout Environmental (formerly Summerhill Impact). 2014. Switch Out: Mercury Switch Recovery Program.
- Transport Canada. Transportation of Dangerous Goods Regulations.
- Yukon River Inter-Tribal Watershed Council. 2008. Backhaul: A “How to” Guide.
EPR/Product Stewardship
- Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment. 2016. Summary of Targeted Materials for Extended Producer Responsibility in the North. Prepared by Sonnevera International Corp. in association with Kelleher Environmental and Maura Walker and Associates.
- Canada-Wide Action Plan For Extended Producer Responsibility
- Electronic Products Recycling Association. Provincial Programs.
- Electronics Product Stewardship Canada.
- Environment and Climate Change Canada. Extended Producer Responsibility and Stewardship and Inventory of Programs.
- Extended Producer Responsibility Product Evaluation Tool
- Solid waste management in Canadian municipalities: A snapshot, 2020
Education and Outreach
- Ecology North. Waste Reduction.
- Government of Northwest Territories, Department of Environment and Natural Resources. Waste Reduction and Recycling.
- Government of Nunavut, Department of Environment. Solid Waste Management in Nunavut: A Backgrounder.
- Government of Yukon, Environment Yukon. Managing Solid Waste.
- Mckenzie-Mohr, Doug. Fostering Sustainable Community-Based Social Marketing.
- Raven Recycling.
- Recycling Council of Alberta
- Recycling Council of British Columbia.
- Recyc-Québec.
- Saskatchewan Waste Reduction Council.
Collection and User Fees
Construction and Demolition Waste
Recycling
Organic Waste/Composting
- Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment. December 1990. Small Scale Waste Management Models for Rural, Remote and Isolated Communities in Canada.
- Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment. 2005 Guidelines for Compost Quality.
- City of Yellowknife. Composting North of 60: A Guide to Home Composting in the Northwest Territories.
- City of Yellowknife. Indoor Composting in Yellowknife – Even in Winter.
- Compost Council of Canada.
- Ecology North. March 2014. Feasibility of Centralized Composting in Hay River, Northwest Territories, Canada.
- Ecology North. Composting In Remote Northern Camps.
- Environment and Climate Change Canada. 2013. Technical Document Municipal Solid Waste Organics Processing.
- Journal of the Northern Territories Water and Waste Association. September 2012. Yellowknife Centralized Composting Program: Feeding the Land, Not the Landfill.
End of Life Vehicles
- Automotive Recyclers of Canada (ARC). 2012. Canadian Auto Recyclers’ Environmental Code (CAREC).
- Government of Nunavut, Department of Environment. January 2011. End-of-Life Vehicle Hazardous Materials Recovery Program Manual.
- Scout Environmental (formerly Summerhill Impact). 2014. Switch Out: Mercury Switch Recovery Program.
- Scout Environmental (formerly Summerhill Impact). August 2014. Protecting the Land: A Practical Guide to ELV Recycling in the North.
Closing Landfills
Rural Arctic Solid Waste Health Studies
- Gilbreath S & Kass P. Low birth weight and preterm birth associated with open dumpsites in Alaska Native villages. American Journal of Epidemiology Sep 15;164(6):518-28, 2006.
- Gilbreath S & Kass P. Stillbirths, neonatal deaths, and congenital anomalies associated with open dumpsites in Alaska Native villages. International Journal of Circumpolar Health, 65 (2):133-147, 2006. Author response published International Journal of Circumpolar Health, 66 (1):4-5, 2007.
- Gilbreath S, Zender L, & Kass P. Self-reported health effects associated with solid waste disposal Alaska Native villages.
Animal Carcasses
Asbestos-containing Materials
- Government of Alberta, Alberta Environment. August 1989. Guidelines for the Disposal of Asbestos Waste.
- Government of Northwest Territories, Department of Environment and Natural Resources. April 2004. Guideline for the Management of Waste Asbestos.
- Government of Northwest Territories, Department of Public Works and Services. February 2010. General Guidelines: Asbestos Removal and Disposal
- Government of Yukon, Yukon Environment. December 2010. Asbestos Disposal.
- WorkSafeBC. 2012. Safe Work Practices for Handling Asbestos.
- WorkSafeBC. For Homeowners: Asbestos Hazards When Renovating Older Homes.
Arctic Solid Waste Governmental Agencies, NGO’s, Organizations, and Programs
Canada
- Arctic Athabaskan Council
- Government of Canada: Pollution and waste management
- Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment
- Centre for Indigenous Environmental Resources
- Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada
- Government of Northwest Territories: Municipal and Community Affairs, Solid Waste Management
- Government of Northwest Territories: Environment and Natural Resources, Waste Reduction and Recycling
- Government of Nunavut – Department of Environment
- Indigenous Services Canada
- Scout Environmental
- Yukon Department of Environment, Department of Community Services
Kingdom of Denmark/Greenland
Finland
Iceland
Norway
The Russian Federation
United States
- Aleut International Association
- Backhaul Alaska
- Inuit Circumpolar Council
- Kawerak, Inc.
- RCAC
- Solid Waste Alaska Taskforce
- State of Alaska: Department of Environmental Health, Solid Waste Program
- Tanana Chiefs Conference
- US Environmental Protection Agency: Alaska
- Zender Environmental Health and Research Group
- Yukon River Inter-Tribal Watershed Council
*This project was endorsed by the Arctic Council’s Sustainable Development Working Group. This report was prepared by the project team and does not necessarily reflect the policy or positions of any Arctic State, Permanent Participant, or Observer of the Arctic Council.
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