Final phase of three-item garbage limit comes into effect

The final phase of the City of Ottawa’s graduated approach to a three-item garbage limit is set to begin Dec. 2. As of Monday, any garbage above the three-item limit must be placed in a City of Ottawa yellow bag, otherwise it will be left behind.

The city unveiled its three-item limit in September in an effort to reduce waste build up at the city-owned Trail Road Waste Facility. The city’s website states that the landfill is quickly filling up and expected to be full by 2035 if habits go unchanged. But more than half of the garbage thrown out on garbage day could be recycled, composted or even reused.

Ottawa’s population is forecasted to reach 1.5 million by 2053, and the amount of waste is expected to rise by 31 per cent, noted the City.

The limit is part of the city’s Solid Waste Master Plan approved in June 2024. The city is striving to not only save landfill space, but also reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and minimize collection and disposal costs.

Examples of waste set outs, provided by the City of Ottawa.

The limit requires garbage to be places in bins no larger than 140 L with the bin and its contents weighing no more than 33 lbs. Garbage containers must also have at least one handle, a removable watertight lid, and be plastic or metal. Bins larger than 140 L will continue to be collected until May 2, however, the total garbage limit is still 420 L and the contents cannot be too heavy for the operators to lift on the truck. if a bin is larger than 140 L, operators will leave a courtesy tag indicating that the bin is too large.

Any additional garbage must be placed in a City of Ottawa yellow bag. If homeowners fail to do so, operators will leave this garbage behind.

Data collected by the city during the phased implementation of the limit shows that residents are complying with the new rules.

Week eight of the implementation period, which ran from Nov. 18 to Nov. 22 saw 157,866 curbside properties collected. Only 0.03 per cent of households were tagged for having oversized bins and 0.72 per cent were tagged for having over the three-item limit.

A memo from Shelley McDonald, the director of solid waste services in the city’s public works department, reported the city has received over 750 reports of illegal dumping. The memo notes the majority of these complaints were received throughout October during Phase 1 of implementation. Staff are targeting wards and locations where illegal dumping is more reported with education campaigns and proactive surveillance. One fine has been issued for illegal dumping since policy implementation started.

Garbage is collected throughout the city every other week with recycling on the opposite weeks. Compost and yard waste is collected every week.

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