A More Reasonable Approach to Garbage Collection

I made a commitment to keep costs as low as possible for Ottawa residents who are facing an affordability crisis. I also promised to protect the environment and make smart long-term decisions for our children and grandchildren.?

The last city council put off major decisions about garbage collection several times. So, with a new garbage collection contract around the corner, we are forced to make some important decisions about the future.

Since the staff report about solid waste was released, I have been listening to input and feedback from Ottawa residents.

I’ve heard very clearly that residents:

• Don’t want a cumbersome system that requires tags on every item, nor do they want drastic measures like clear bags or garbage police.
• Want to keep garbage fees as low as possible and want a system that is fair and reasonable.
• Understand the current system is not sustainable and that we must divert more waste from landfill in order to save money and protect the environment.
• Expect us to develop a sensible long-term solution for waste management and also to dramatically increase diversion from multi-residential buildings.

We are faced with three options:

The first is to do nothing and kick this decision even further down the road. That’s both irresponsible and expensive. It will cost taxpayers more money in the long run and it won’t solve anything.

The second option is to adopt the staff recommendation of putting tags on every item. I don’t think that’s the best choice for residents. For a family that’s putting out one or two containers of garbage every two weeks, that’s adding administration and bureaucracy for no reason. Nor do I agree with unappealing options that are used in other municipalities, including clear plastic bags, and using garbage police to punish people who don’t use their green bin.?

The third option is to find a solution that involves less administration, reduces our costs in the long run, and does the right thing for the environment. I believe we can strike a balance that is fair, that keeps our costs as low as possible, and that makes the right long-term decisions for our children and grandchildren.

Why do we need to reduce how much garbage we send to landfill?

The short answer is that it keeps our garbage fees low, it extends the lifespan of our existing landfill and delays the significant cost of introducing a new solution, and it’s good for the environment.

Right now, we have a limit of six containers of garbage per household every two weeks. And that limit is not enforced. So, it’s possible for a household to put out seven or eight containers, or more, and it all gets picked up.?

While other municipalities have taken recent steps to reduce what they send to landfill, Ottawa has not. We have made no substantive changes since the green bin was introduced a decade ago.

Sending garbage to landfill is expensive, and the price is going up. If we continue with the current levels of collection, our rates will rise significantly over the next few years. Even if we reduce the limit slightly, to four or five containers every two weeks, our rates will increase by 20% or more. The cost of doing nothing is significant. We must reduce what we send to landfill or every resident will pay a lot more for garbage collection.

Right now, our garbage collection fee is one of the lowest in Ontario. Each resident pays an annual garbage and recycling fee of $130, or $2.50 per week. In addition to that, about $55 from the average property tax bill goes toward solid waste management. Even when you combine the two amounts, that’s considerably less than Toronto and other municipalities.?

Here’s what residents of other cities pay:

Edmonton: $585

Toronto: $286 - $548

Saskatoon: $436

Vancouver: $398

Peel Region: $301

Durham: $219

Hamilton: $212

Kingston: $202

Ottawa residents are paying less for garbage collection fees than the vast majority of Ontario residents. I want to keep fees as low as possible. The best way to do that is to send less garbage to landfill.?

Why do we have to do this now?

If we want to reduce garbage going to landfill, make smart decisions for our children and grandchildren, and keep our costs as low as possible, we have to do three things:

1.???Start planning for a new means of disposing of solid waste for the next generation. Our landfill site will run out in about 10-15 years. We need to start working now to explore our options for 2035 and beyond, including incineration, waste-to-energy, and other ideas. The work on this has already begun.

2.???Begin to address the lack of diversion from multi-residential buildings. Residents of apartment buildings and condominiums still don’t have proper green bin and recycling programs. This will be addressed in the fall of this year.

3.???Take immediate steps to divert more residential waste from landfill. Diverting waste from landfill is one of the most effective ways for us to save money and keep costs as low as possible for residents.?

Some people are asking why we can’t do all of this at the same time. We will work toward answering all of these questions over the coming months. But we must address the residential question now. Why? Because the city is about to enter into new garbage and recycling collection contracts with waste management companies. The previous council postponed making major changes to garbage limits and diversion strategies several times, so we must decide now what the rules will be for the next few years.?

Why does diverting from landfill save us money?

There are a number of reasons why diverting from landfill saves us money; the two big ones are:

First, starting July 1, residents will no longer pay for the collection of recycled packaging. Instead, the manufacturers will pay the recycling cost. That means every plastic container that goes to landfill costs taxpayers’ money. But if it goes in the blue or black bin, it costs taxpayers nothing. So, the more we divert from garbage to recycling, the more money we save.?

Second, we are eventually going to run out of space at our current landfill site. Building a new solution will be expensive. The later we do that, even if it’s only a few years, the more money we will save in the meantime.

Why can’t we just move to a new waste management solution that will take care of all of this?

Some people are implying that if we move quickly to a new long-term solution such as incineration, we won’t have to worry about diverting more waste from landfill. But that’s not true. In fact, in order to get provincial approvals for a new long-term solution, including incineration or waste-to-energy, we will need to demonstrate much higher diversion levels. So, we must increase diversion in order to get the required approvals for the long-term solution we need.

For example, Durham is in the process of expanding their incinerator to address population growth. In order to defer the expansion and mitigate those costs, they are taking significant measures to increase diversion from landfill. The expansion has not been approved by the provincial government, but it’s expected that one of the most important criteria for approval will be increased diversion rates.

So, what’s the compromise?

I don’t agree with the original proposal for mandatory garbage tags, 55 to be sent out annually at the beginning of the year and have residents put tags on every single container they put on the curb. I also don’t want to see measures like clear garbage bags and garbage police who punish residents for not using the green bin.

Nearly 75% of residential households in Ottawa put out two containers or fewer every two weeks. I don’t see why they should now have to put tags on those containers. So, we’re going to keep it as easy as possible.

Here’s what I support as a reasonable compromise that treats residents fairly, keeps costs as low as possible, sets us up for long-term success, and creates a financial incentive for diverting more waste from landfill:

• The first two containers (or items) of garbage you put out every two weeks don’t require any tags;
• The first collection after Christmas every year, you’ll be able to put out three containers (or items) instead of two;?
• For every item after that, you’ll put a tag on the item. These tags will be available for $3 each. This helps cover the cost of the extra amount of garbage going to landfill;
• For an easy transition to the new system, every household will receive 15 free tags with no expiration date. So, if you need tags, you’ll have a bunch to get you started;
• If you have special needs like diapers or medical waste, we have a program to accommodate that; and,
• To give residents time to prepare, this program will take effect in a year from now, in July 2024.

Why is this better for residents?

Right now, our garbage collection is like an all-you-can-eat buffet where even if you don’t eat a lot, you still pay full price. By changing to more of an à la carte system, residents will have an incentive to throw away less garbage and use organic and recycling streams instead.

Three-quarters of households will not see any change. Nearly 75% of Ottawa households currently put out two containers or less every two weeks. So, for them, nothing changes. But their garbage fees will no longer subsidize those who are putting out more than that. This new system will mean that residents who put out less garbage will not be paying the costs of collection from the small percentage of people who put out more garbage.

Is this a cash grab?

No. The revenue from the tags goes toward paying for the cost of taking those additional containers to landfill. The program is designed to be cost recovery.? It’s a way of keeping costs lower for the people who are sending smaller amounts of garbage to landfill, rather than charging everyone more for the small percentage of residents who dispose of more garbage.

What happens next?

After this program is approved, we will:

• Negotiate a new garbage collection contract that will be based on anticipated collection levels for the next few years;
• Work on and launch a new strategy for multi-residential to significantly improve diversion rates in apartment and condo buildings;
• Continue to work toward the long-term solution that will replace our landfill site; and,
• Explore other ways to make it easier to divert large items from the landfill that will be optional and easy to access.

Conclusion:

To recap, this proposed solution:

• Represents no change for nearly 75% of Ottawa households;
• Ensures that we keep garbage collection costs as low as possible and avoids the significant cost increases associated with doing nothing;
• Increases fairness so residents who don’t produce a lot of garbage aren’t seeing big cost increases to pay for those who produce more;
• Avoids unpopular solutions like clear garbage bags and garbage police;
• Avoids a do-nothing or next-to-nothing scenario that is more expensive and simply kicks the decision down the road again;
• Advance a comprehensive strategy for the multi-residential diversion; and,?
• Gives us more time to implement the right long-term solution for our children and grandchildren.

I’ve worked with a number of councillors to bring forward a motion to committee that includes these solutions, which I believe are respectful, reasonable, and responsible. Of the options available to us, I believe this is the one that is best for our community.