New strategy to deal with Ottawa's trash about to be tested

A result of political compromise and a "disappointment" to local environmentalists, Ottawa's reduced curbside garbage pickup is rolling out next week, but some wonder if the city will eventually be forced to take a more aggressive approach.

Starting Sept. 30, Ottawa households can only put out three items of trash each pickup day, down from the previous limit of six.

That 50 per cent reduction may seem like an ambitious move, but with well over 80 per cent of households already meeting the city's new goal it's unclear exactly how much will change.

"This kind of approach is going to do nothing to solve our waste problem," said Kate Reekie, solid waste campaigner with CAFES Ottawa, a network of local environment advocates.

"In a couple of years, I suspect that we will be looking at far more draconian methods to get our waste down."

The latest strategy for cutting the amount of refuse heading to the rapidly swelling Trail Road landfill is a necessary step to ensure the city doesn't run out of room before it can cement a plan for handling future trash — and enough money saved to pay for it.

Kate Reekie is the lead solid waste campaigner with a network of local environment advocates called CAFES Ottawa, and a circular economy consultant. (Francis Ferland/CBC)

Creating economic incentives

City staff originally proposed a partial pay-as-you-throw system — described as "tag-a-bag," even though it included larger bins — but it evoked considerable confusion and such vehement opposition that councillors were hard pressed to find a suitable compromise.

The idea of tags was thrown out altogether, replaced with an option to buy yellow bags for excess trash.

But places like San Francisco have shown through decades of evolving policy how the pay-as-you-throw model can lead to an effective mix of punishment and reward.

"We always wanted to create economic incentives," said Alexa Kielty, San Francisco's residential zero waste co-ordinator, comparing garbage collection to other utilities.

"The more trash you generate, the larger the bin, the more expensive. So that really drove people to compost and recycle."

Kielty said the new limit in Ottawa "seems like a tremendous amount" of garbage, but noted that a city's level of urban density makes a difference.

"The bigger the houses, the more area people have, the more ability to accumulate stuff they don't need," she said. "I think if we have less area to operate in, we consume less."

A couch sits at the curb on the last pickup day before the new garbage limit comes into effect. (Francis Ferland/CBC)

Beware of 'growing pains'

While Ottawa didn't fully embrace the pay-as-you-throw model, other Ontario municipalities facing landfill dilemmas have.

Calvin Lakhan with York University's Faculty of Environment and Urban Change followed cities as they transitioned and found the system "incredibly effective" at reducing household waste. But there are challenges whenever cities introduce a change, he warned.

Lakhan said the shift "absolutely" leads to illegal dumping — something bylaw officers in Ottawa are preparing for. That's especially true when it comes to households that find the new limits unfairly target them because they include multiple generations or tenants, for example, and therefore produce more trash.

"You have to limit what people can throw away and waste in order to incentivize recycling or reuse or waste reduction altogether," he said. "But there will be teething and growing pains."

A City of Ottawa truck approaches the scales at the Trail Road landfill in April 2022. (Kate Porter/CBC)

That's where a graduated enforcement campaign with no early punishment comes into play.

"The hammer doesn't come down till later," said Trevor Barton, executive director of the non-profit Municipal Waste Association. "They get used to it and can comply."

Think outside the (blue) box

Some of Canada's most successful cities incorporate other creative solutions including once- or twice-per-year unlimited pickup days that encourage what Barton calls "controlled scavenging" among neighbours.

Using clear garbage bags has also worked well for cities aiming to keep items that should really be composted or recycled out of the trash.

It's a move Markham, Ont., made despite significant public frustration.

"They didn't want it. But the city plowed ahead because they knew that this was going to lead to reduced contamination," said Lakhan. "Sometimes the municipality has to put their foot down."

Supporting the best policy, regardless of its popularity, is exactly what William van Geest, executive director of Ecology Ottawa, hoped this city would be able to do.

William van Geest, executive director of Ecology Ottawa, found the new limit to be a disappointment and believes the city would benefit from a 'stick' rather than a 'carrot.' (Francis Ferland/CBC)

He said rejecting the staff proposal essentially kicked the can down the road at a time when Ottawa is in a real "financial crunch."

Key to convincing the public, said Lakhan, is making people understand that dealing with waste is never really free.

"The more waste you manage, the more expensive it is for the city, and therefore the more expensive it is for you to have your property taxes," he said.

That cost will be clear enough this budget season, as staff say a hike to the solid waste fee is unavoidable.