Ottawa – Ottawa’s vision is to be a zero-waste city. And yet, more than half of what we throw in the garbage could be recycled or composted. We need a plan that can stand up to challenges such as climate change and a landfill that is filling up fast.

Visit ottawa.ca/wasteplan to have your say. You can share your thoughts by completing a survey or participating in one of our online workshops. You can also learn more by participating in a virtual information session.

From previous engagement with the public on the Solid Waste Master Plan, we know that residents want progressive, collective, and innovative action. We learned about people’s creative ideas for the City to explore as part of the planning process. We have analysed that input and now we are asking for feedback on a short list of options for the plan. We also want to know how far, how fast, and at what cost you would like the City to move towards a zero-waste future.

The options explore themes such as:

Green bin use in multi-residential properties
How we manage garbage and recycling in parks
New and creative ways to reduce and reuse (such as repair cafes, lending libraries, community swaps and food waste reduction initiatives)
How to improve our recycling programs
The role of technology and innovation
Turning waste into renewable energy
Financial considerations
New promotion and education initiatives

If you don’t have access to a computer, call 613-580-2424 ext. 25550 to complete the survey by phone.

Feedback from this engagement series will help to develop the Solid Waste Master Plan – a guide for how garbage, recycling, and household organics will be managed for the next 30 years.

Your feedback will help create a waste management system we can all feel good about – one that serves your needs while protecting the environment for future generations.

Next steps

The draft Waste Plan was expected in Q2 2022. However, potential changes in waste management policy at the federal and provincial level could have a significant impact on the Waste Plan. To allow for a fuller accounting of these factors, the draft plan is expected in early 2023, with the final Waste Plan to be tabled at Council in Q2 2023.