Time for some trash talk at City Hall

Shawn Menard
Councillor, Capital Ward

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Garbage may not be exciting to talk about, but it affects every single resident and can be a divisive topic.

Most likely, the biggest financial decision our city will make this term of council (aside from Lansdowne 2.0) will be about how we deal with our waste.

The current statistics on garbage production and waste diversion (how we keep waste out of a landfill) are surprising. More than half of the waste gets sent to landfill – 58 per cent – could be diverted: 45 per cent is organic and could be turned into compost and used in agriculture; 13 per cent could be recycled, repurposed and sold.

This status quo is untenable. The Trail Road Landfill could reach capacity as early as 2036 if we continue along the current trajectory.

Building a new landfill will cost upwards of $400 million, and that’s after we try to find a new location – no one is going to want a dump in their backyard.

To look on the bright side, we can see that there is a lot of room for us to increase diversion, lengthening the lifespan of the current landfill. It will take program and policy improvements from the City and some behavioural change from residents. We have a fantastic waste team at the City which is currently consulting on the Solid Waste Master Plan that determines the strategy to manage waste over the next 30 years.

This plan will help us respond to the growing amount of waste driven by Ottawa’s increasing population, limited capacity remaining at the landfill and greenhouse gas emissions released through waste management practices, particularly methane released from landfilled organics. You can read about the plan and keep an eye out for consultation opportunities by visiting the city’s website, engage.ottawa.ca/solid-waste-master-plan.

We see a lot of potential in the 50 actions that the city has mapped out to reduce and reuse waste, increase recycling, manage residual waste, advance operational innovation and develop a zero-waste culture across the city. The waste hierarchy places reduction or prevention of as much waste as possible, followed by recycling, recovery and, finally, disposal.

There is political pressure at City Hall to veer from this thoughtful and reasoned approach. We saw it when council disregarded staff’s recommendation of a two-garbage bin limit for curbside collection with a pay-as-you-throw approach in favour of a three-bag limit which was already being met by 91 per cent of residents.

We also see it with the renewed interest in waste incineration. Staff are currently conducting a feasibility study and business case analysis for waste-to-energy incineration. While it is important to understand our options, there is no greater action we can take than being thoughtful about the amount of waste we produce and diverting it effectively. It’s better for our environment, and it’s better for city finances. Staff estimate that an incinerator would cost the city at least $400 million, and it doesn’t eliminate the need for a new landfill. It also presents technical, legislative and environmental challenges.

The decision whether to incinerate will likely be made during this term of council, and we can do important work in the lead-up to this decision to make sure that waste reduction is prioritized and funded as the fundamental approach. Education and outreach are key components of this strategy (something the city hasn’t been great at in the past), as is hearing from residents about their particular situation. This is how we can craft a creative and accessible approach to waste reduction.

There are solutions that constituents in our ward have been calling for, such as prioritizing the implementation of green bins in multi-home buildings. I have passed motions for this, and we now see that it is mandatory for all new large buildings to have the green bin included, with existing buildings to adopt the mandatory practice shortly. We’d also like it to be easier for residents to safely get rid of hazardous waste in the core without having to drive to the suburbs. Repair cafés sponsored by the city have been immensely popular.

Cities like Winnipeg have a Salvage Supermarket where anyone can access used building material at reasonable prices. Twelve per cent of our curbside residential tonnage is home renovation waste, much of which could be reused or repurposed.

As you can see, there are solutions out there. It’s time for Ottawa take care of its trash.

Shawn Menard is City Councillor for Capital Ward. He can be reached at CapitalWard@ottawa.ca.