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Ottawa City Council approved the city’s new three-item trash bag limit, passing the motion without debate Wednesday.
The new rules, which come into effect on Sept. 30, limit residents to putting out three “items” for pickup on their biweekly waste collection days. The “item” can be a garbage bag, a bulky item or a container of up to 140 litres that may itself contain a number of smaller garbage bags.
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There is no limit on the amount of material set out for recycling in blue and black boxes or for composting in a green bin. The plan was approved last week by the city’s environment and climate change committee.
Speaking to reporters after Wednesday’s council meeting, Mayor Mark Sutcliffe said all residents shared the responsibility for the cost of solid waste disposal and recycling.
“The vast majority of Ottawa residents already fit within the limits that are being put in place later this year, so it won’t mean any kind of change for 85 per cent of our residents,” Sutcliffe said. “When it comes to the remainder of those residents, I think there’s an opportunity for them to focus on recycling and using the green bin and the yellow bag program. There are a lot of options available.”
The city will allow residents to set out extra garbage in yellow bags that are sold in four-packs for $17.60 plus tax.
For the first month, all garbage will be collected, but workers will leave a non-compliance notice warning the resident they were above their limit and information about the new rules. In November, any excess items will be left at the curb with a non-compliance notice. In December, extra items will be left behind with a notice and the resident can expect to hear from one of the city’s solid-waste inspectors.
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“All of this is working toward our shared goal of reducing the amount of garbage that gets sent to landfill, extending the life of our landfill site and making sure that we’re keeping our costs as low as possible,” Sutcliffe said. “It’s the right thing to do. It represents an inconvenience for some people — we accept that. There’s going to be a transition period to make sure people understand the new rules, there’s going to be a lot of communication, so it should be a very smooth process.”
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