Waste Management in Ottawa

[rocketphish]

No job losses under new recycling program, City of Ottawa says
City workers will continue to collect recycling from some small businesses and public spaces that don't fall under the updated provincial program.

By Natasha Baldin, Ottawa Citizen
Published Jan 02, 2026 | Last updated 39 minutes ago

The City of Ottawa is no longer responsible for collecting residential recycling, but the city says the change won’t cost anyone their job.

As of Jan. 1, responsibility for collecting and processing recycling in Ottawa shifted to Circular Materials with its contractor, Miller Waste Services, picking up from blue and black bins placed at the curb. The change includes a broader list of recyclable items, with additions ranging from hot and cold beverage cups to toothpaste tubes.

“The City of Ottawa can confirm there will be no job losses as a result of the changes to recycling from the new provincial regulations,” Andrea Gay Farley, the city’s program manager of waste collections, programs and customer service, wrote in a statement.

While residential properties make the shift to Ontario’s blue and black box programs, city workers will continue to collect waste from small businesses registered under the yellow bag program and public spaces that don’t fall under the provincial programs, Gay Farley wrote.

“Moving forward, the city will use existing resources to combine recycling collection from small businesses and city facilities,” she said.

The City of Ottawa will continue to cover the cost of processing recycling from sources that include small businesses, city facilities and public spaces.

https://ottawacitizen.com/news/no-jo...program-ottawa

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by rocketphish

No job losses under new recycling program, City of Ottawa says
City workers will continue to collect recycling from some small businesses and public spaces that don't fall under the updated provincial program.

By Natasha Baldin, Ottawa Citizen
Published Jan 02, 2026 | Last updated 39 minutes ago

The City of Ottawa is no longer responsible for collecting residential recycling, but the city says the change won’t cost anyone their job.

As of Jan. 1, responsibility for collecting and processing recycling in Ottawa shifted to Circular Materials with its contractor, Miller Waste Services, picking up from blue and black bins placed at the curb. The change includes a broader list of recyclable items, with additions ranging from hot and cold beverage cups to toothpaste tubes.

“The City of Ottawa can confirm there will be no job losses as a result of the changes to recycling from the new provincial regulations,” Andrea Gay Farley, the city’s program manager of waste collections, programs and customer service, wrote in a statement.

While residential properties make the shift to Ontario’s blue and black box programs, city workers will continue to collect waste from small businesses registered under the yellow bag program and public spaces that don’t fall under the provincial programs, Gay Farley wrote.

“Moving forward, the city will use existing resources to combine recycling collection from small businesses and city facilities,” she said.

The City of Ottawa will continue to cover the cost of processing recycling from sources that include small businesses, city facilities and public spaces.

https://ottawacitizen.com/news/no-jo...program-ottawa

There's no way the other city services could absorb all those employees. I just assumed they'd transfer to Circular Materials.

Also, can someone explain how the City isn't saving a boat load of money from all this? Sutcliffe is always looking for "efficiencies". Isn't transferring responsibility of the majority of garbage/recycling to a private entity a huge "efficiency"

[LeadingEdgeBoomer]

Tuesday was black box and green bin pickup in my neighborhood. The black boxes on my block were picked up. The green bins were not. The first time that has happened in years. Start up problems?

[Richard Eade]

Unlikely. I believe that the Green Bin is still being administered by the City - that it is only the Black and Blue Boxes that are now collected by 'industry'.

[J.OT13]

I had no issues with my trash Monday, but realized that now we'll have two to three trucks coming (one for recycling, one for the green bin, and one for garbage every two weeks) instead or one (for both recycling and green bin) and two (the extra one for garbage). So yeah, wonder if this actually has a larger impact on the environment since we end up with more trucks on the road for these new extra accepted items likely won't be recycled anyway.

[J.OT13]

CBC Podcast episode on Doug's beer bottle recycling mess: https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio...ore-under-deal

[rocketphish]

Ottawa councillors vote to allow staff to finalize purchase of dump site
Price still undisclosed to public after 20-5 vote

Arthur White-Crummey · CBC News
Posted: Jan 14, 2026 11:59 AM EST | Last Updated: 1 hour ago



City council has voted to authorize staff to buy a landfill site in Ottawa’s rural southeast, though the purchase price will remain secret until the deal is done.

The 192-hectare Capital Region Resource Recovery Centre is located on Boundary Road near the 417, just south of the Amazon warehouse. In November, the city announced that it was in talks to buy the property from Taggart Miller Environmental Services Inc.

The site has approval to accept up to 450,000 tonnes of waste annually, with an expected lifespan of 30 years.

The vote was taken Wednesday following a closed-door council meeting, passing with 20 in favour and five opposed. The no votes were from councillors with rural areas in their wards.

The motion authorizes senior city staff to negotiate, enter into and finalize an agreement to buy the landfill site.

The city signed a non-disclosure agreement to protect the competitive bidding process, which has prevented it from revealing the price or conditions of the sale.

City staff have called the purchase a rare opportunity to buy a permitted landfill site as Ottawa’s current municipal dump on Trail Road fills up.

That landfill was set to run out of space in 2034 or 2035, though recent policy changes like the three-bag collection limit have extended that timeline by about six years. Provincial approval to expand Trail Road could add 15 more.

<more>

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottaw...hase-9.7045178

[J.OT13]

The no votes were from councillors with rural areas in their wards.

Did the City not even provide the vote breakdown?

And how competitive of a process can this be. Can't imagine the competition to buy a dump can be that high. I'd love to know how much Taggart invested in this property over the years to buy it, get it zoned as a dump, any lawyer fees. Can't have been more than $50 million. City better not buy this for something insane like a half billion (or anything over $100 million really).

[J.OT13]

Ottawa poised to buy east end landfill site for $95M
Price had been unknown until now
CBC News · Posted: Jan 27, 2026 2:57 PM EST

The City of Ottawa has agreed to buy a landfill site in Ottawa’s rural southeast for $95 million, according to a report to city council. The deal is pending council approval.

The 192-hectare Capital Region Resource Recovery Centre is located on Boundary Road near Highway 417, just south of the Amazon warehouse. In November, the city announced that it was in talks to buy the property from Taggart Miller Environmental Services Inc.

More to come.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottaw...hase-9.7063598

[J.OT13]

On Better Ottawa, I think it's this episode (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Qyb2RoS3CM) they mentioned that Taggart bought the land for $8 million a decade ago. I don't know how much money they put into the land and getting approvals for a landfill, but I can't imagine it was more than $10 million. Taggart is running to the bank laughing.

Just watch; they'll sue the City over the landfill in a decade or two because it impacts their Tewin lands.

[SkeggsEggs]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

Did the City not even provide the vote breakdown?

And how competitive of a process can this be. Can't imagine the competition to buy a dump can be that high. I'd love to know how much Taggart invested in this property over the years to buy it, get it zoned as a dump, any lawyer fees. Can't have been more than $50 million. City better not buy this for something insane like a half billion (or anything over $100 million really).

they heard you and went $5m under

[dougvdh]

Originally Posted by SkeggsEggs

they heard you and went $5m under

For what it's worth, the City provided an estimate on the cost of a new landfill back in June:
"A new landfill would be costly to build and challenging to find and approve a site, but it could produce less greenhouse gases than incineration. The estimated capital costs range from $439 million to $761 million, with annual operating costs of $15.6 million."

https://ottawa.ca/en/city-hall/city-...ment-solutions

[rocketphish]

As veil of secrecy lifts on Ottawa's $95M landfill deal, here's what we learned
City insists extra waste fees are worth it

Arthur White-Crummey · CBC News
Posted: Jan 29, 2026 8:49 AM EST | Last Updated: 39 minutes ago

City of Ottawa officials are finally breaking their silence about the decision to buy a $95-million landfill site and insisting it’s a good deal for taxpayers.

The city bought the 192-hectare Capital Region Resource Recovery Centre near the east-end Amazon warehouse from Taggart Miller Environmental Services Inc.

The deal closed late last week, lifting a non-disclosure agreement that had shrouded the plan in secrecy.

Aside from the purchase price, it's costing about $1 million in taxes and closing costs.

That means residents will pay more, at least in the short run. The city is funding the landfill using debt, and it will have to start shelling out $5.5 million every year to pay it back starting in 2027.

That money will come from a garbage fee on property tax bills. The city already hiked it sharply in recent years to replenish an exhausted solid waste reserve fund and shift the burden from taxes to fees.

The fee was previously forecast to reach $341 in 2030. But paying off all that landfill debt will push it up higher to an estimated $364 for that year, an extra $23.

City officials say that’s the wrong way to look at the deal. They say the gap will narrow over time to $13 in 2034 and the added cost is low when averaged over the decade.

Eventually, they promise, it will all balance out.

<more>

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottaw...dary-9.7065982

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by dougvdh

For what it's worth, the City provided an estimate on the cost of a new landfill back in June:
"A new landfill would be costly to build and challenging to find and approve a site, but it could produce less greenhouse gases than incineration. The estimated capital costs range from $439 million to $761 million, with annual operating costs of $15.6 million."

https://ottawa.ca/en/city-hall/city-...ment-solutions

But that estimate includes setting up the landfill as well; buildings, scales, methane capture technology and whatever the heck else goes into it. I want to know their estimate for the land and permits alone.

[rocketphish]

Your garbage collection day could soon change: Here's why
About half of the city's residents will have to put their garbage out on the curb on a different day of the week starting March 30.

By Natasha Baldin, Ottawa Citizen
Published Feb 11, 2026 | Last updated 58 minutes ago

About half of all Ottawa residents will see changes to their garbage, green bin and yard waste collection schedules as of March 30 as a new curbside collection contract comes into effect.

The city’s new collection contract includes “updated service levels” and was approved by council in September 2023, according to a memo to council from Shelley McDonald, the city’s director of solid waste services, on Wednesday.

The new collection contract says schedule changes are focused on “maximizing route efficiencies.”

Residents can find updated collection schedules on the city’s website, and all households will receive a mailed letter in February reminding them to check their updated collection schedules online.

Collection frequency will remain the same: green bin and yard waste will still be collected weekly, and garbage will be collected every two weeks. Holiday “push days” will also remain in effect.

However, it’s not yet clear whether recycling collection days will also shift to align with the updated garbage and green bin collection schedules.

As of Jan. 1, recycling responsibility shifted to a new province-wide program administered by the non-profit organization Circular Materials with contractor Miller Waste Services responsible for collecting recycling from curbsides.

Recycling collection days have so far been consistent with Ottawa’s garbage and green bin collection schedule.

Circular Materials did not immediately respond for comment when asked if it intended to shift its recycling collection schedule so residents wouldn’t have multiple collection days each week.

Another notable change is that leaf and yard waste will have to be set out separately from the green bin, starting March 30.

Residents can either use paper yard waste bags or clearly marked reusable containers for leaf and yard waste.

This change aims to “support cost-effective processing,” as the new contract states that leaf and yard waste will be redirected to the Barnsdale processing facility at the Trail Waste Facility Landfill.

This will also be the last year that residents will receive paper-based collection calendars by mail. As of 2027, the city will implement a digital model where residents can receive email or telephone reminders and access a calendar through a mobile app.

https://ottawacitizen.com/news/garba...-change-ottawa