Looking after solid waste is a shared responsibility between the three levels of government - federal, provincial/territorial and municipal. The federal government, through Environment Canada, is responsible for protecting the air, land, and water, from toxic substances.
Environment Canada is engaged in a variety of municipal solid waste issues, including:
- sustainable development
- managing toxic substances
- international and interprovincial movement of hazardous wastes
- federal lands and operations
- air emissions, including greenhouse gas emissions
- federal funding programmes
The Canadian government also collects data regarding solid waste from businesses and municipalities through Statistics Canada.