Starting Monday, Ottawa households are limited to three items of trash every two weeks.
Various pieces of garbage count as items: a bag, a container up to 140 litres in capacity weighing up to 15 kilograms, or bulky items such as a chair or a sofa.
Households that exceed the limit get a free pass until November and all garbage items set out will still be collected. In November, households that exceed the limit will have all but one item collected.
In December, any items exceeding the limit will not be collected.
There’s no limit for properly used recycling or compost bins.
City council voted in favour of dropping its limit from six items back in June 2023 after a proposed bag-tagging system proved unpopular among residents.
The city is working to cut the amount of waste heading to the rapidly swelling Trail Road landfill and extend its lifespan before it can cement a plan for handling future trash. It says more than half the waste that ends up there could be recycled, composted or reused.
Households that need to put out extra trash can purchase yellow bags at hardware stores later this year. They’ll cost $17.60 for a pack of four.
The changes cover common waste pads in row or town houses, but do not cover multi-residential buildings such as high-rise apartments.
The city is encouraging residents to report illegal dumping in places such as parks, dumpsters or someone else’s curb by calling 311. The city is boosting bylaw resources at the start of the change and anyone who dumps waste illegally can face fines.
There’s a special considerations program for the collection of diapers, incontinence waste and home health-care waste that cannot be disposed of within the new limit.
Households that want the exemption can register with the city.