Stricter pickup policies in the works
City seeks reaction to three main options to reduce load on municipal dump
A summertime survey on options to restrict the amount of garbage people place for pickup signals dramatic changes to residential trash collection in the coming years.
Ottawa residents have been gently prepped for inevitable change as staff and council members develop a new solid-waste master plan. The plan sets municipal waste policies that have a direct impact on the structure and cost of garbage collection and processing.
Stricter policies will aim to extend the life of the municipal dump on Trail Road and contribute to a more environmentally sensitive approach to handling residential garbage. The city figures half of what's going into the landfill could be diverted to recycling or organics programs.
Based on the three main options floated in the online survey, residents should prepare for one of three possibilities: a reduced number or garbage bags allowed at the curbside, a pay-per-bag regime, or mandatory clear bags for garbage. There could even be a combination of the options.
As for recycling and organics, the city always encourages residents to put out as much as they want at the curbside for collection.
If residents want more proof of how serious the city is about changing the garbage collection rules, there isn't a “none of the above” option when the city asks people for a preference at the end of the survey.
The survey is available on the city's consultation webpage at engage.ottawa.ca/solid-wastemaster-plan. The page also has information about how to sign up for workshops scheduled between Aug. 31 and Sept. 4.
Here's an overview of the options Ottawa residents face.
LOWERING BAG LIMITS
An Ottawa bylaw currently sets six bags as the maximum number allowed at the curb on collection days, making it the obvious low-hanging fruit for a city looking to reduce dump-bound garbage.
According to the city's research, the average number of items put out on collection day is 4.18 items or less, and 85 per cent of households put out four items or less.
One option is to reduce the maximum number of garbage bags allowed at the curb. Garbage collectors could leave extra bags at the curb, forcing residents to squirrel away their trash for another two weeks or take the items to the dump themselves.
The city is also kicking around ideas that include picking up the extra bags and billing the homeowner.
Under the option, a new bag limit would likely be below the current 4.18 average, in hopes of increasing recycling.
The city says reducing the bag limits could reduce waste by 11 per cent per capita and increase the diversion rate by up to five per cent.
It would also bring an annual increase of about $4.50 to the taxpayers' garbage fee, chalked up to the cost of outreach, education and operations.
LOWERING BAG LIMITS AND NEW BAG TAGS
This option sets a maximum number of bags that could be put at the curb. Any extra bags would need to have purchased tags.
The city calls the option “partial pay-as-you throw” and says it's already happening in 78 Ontario municipalities.
Again, the maximum number of bags before tags are required would likely be below the current 4.18 average.
It would also bring the same $4.50-per-year extra cost for taxpayers' garbage fee, and that's before any tags are required. Tags in other municipalities usually cost between $2 and $3 each.
It's not quite an apples-to-apples comparison, but the City of Gatineau uses a similar system in which homeowners are provided a garbage container by the municipality and any extra garbage must be put in labelled “overflow” bags. A pack of five bags is $2.50.
The City of Ottawa says a partial pay-as-you-throw regime could reduce the garbage per capita by 28 per cent and the diversion rate could increase by as much as six per cent.
For now, the city isn't considering a regime that requires people to pay for each bag of garbage they put out, though it could be under study during the ongoing work to write a new solid-waste master plan.
REQUIRING CLEAR BAGS FOR TRASH
The third option is introducing mandatory clear trash bags so garbage collectors can make sure people aren't sending recyclable material to the landfill.
If a garbage collector sees a pop can, newspaper or banana peel in the bag, it could be grounds for leaving the bag at the curb.
The per-capita garbage could be reduced by up to 33 per cent and the diversion rate could increase by up to 10 per cent, the city says.
However, residents would have to live with their garbage being on display to neighbours and passersby. The city is floating the idea of allowing one small non-clear “privacy” bag, either placed in a clear bag or placed on its own at the curb.
The option would also increase taxpayers' garbage fee by $12 per year to pay for program oversight, education and enforcement. The estimated cost increase also reflects higher processing costs for recyclables.
Forty Ontario municipalities use clear bags, the city says.