Types of Landfills: Engineered, Dumps, Transfer Stations
Not all landfills are created equal. Canadian waste disposal sites range from highly engineered facilities with multiple environmental safeguards to legacy dump sites with minimal controls. Our directory tracks 813 facilities across the following classifications:
Engineered (Sanitary) Landfill
A fully-designed waste disposal facility with composite liners, leachate collection, methane capture, and groundwater monitoring. Engineered landfills are classified by the type and volume of waste they accept. These represent the vast majority of active municipal and industrial waste disposal in Canada. Class I facilities accept hazardous waste; Class II accept non-hazardous industrial and commercial waste; Class III accept municipal solid waste.
Dump / Open Dump
An unlined or minimally-lined waste disposal site with little to no environmental controls. Dumps typically lack leachate collection, gas capture, and formal groundwater monitoring. Many are legacy sites that predate modern environmental regulations. In Canada, open dumping of municipal waste is illegal in most provinces, though some rural and northern communities still operate dump sites due to logistical and economic constraints. Modern regulations are phasing these out in favour of engineered landfills.
Waste Transfer Station
A facility where waste is temporarily held and consolidated before being transported to a final disposal site. Transfer stations serve rural and remote areas where direct hauling to a distant landfill is uneconomical. Waste is collected locally, compacted into larger loads, and shipped to a regional landfill. Transfer stations reduce truck traffic, fuel consumption, and road wear while providing accessible drop-off points for residents.
Waste Treatment & Disposal Facility
A specialized facility that treats waste before disposal. This may include incineration, chemical treatment, biological treatment, or stabilization/solidification. Treatment facilities handle waste streams that cannot be landfilled directly — such as hazardous waste, medical waste, liquid industrial waste, and contaminated soils. After treatment, residual materials may be sent to an engineered landfill.
Industrial Waste Landfill
A landfill dedicated to non-hazardous industrial waste such as construction and demolition debris, foundry sand, ash, slag, and manufacturing byproducts. These facilities are permitted separately from municipal landfills and are often located on industrial sites (e.g., mines, pulp mills, refineries). They follow the same engineering principles as sanitary landfills but may accept a narrower range of waste types.
Our directory contains 426 engineered landfills, 234 dumps, 153 waste treatment facilities, and various other classifications. Browse by province to find facilities near you.