We all have a role to play in reducing the amount of stuff we send to the landfill. Want to share your thoughts on Ottawa City’s draft Waste Plan? Now’s the time! You can attend an in-person open house, a virtual information session, and/or complete our survey. To find out more visit Ottawa.ca/wasteplan
From now until Thursday, March 7, residents are invited to share their thoughts on the City’s draft Solid Waste Master Plan. The Waste Plan is a roadmap for how the City of Ottawa will manage waste over the next 30 years.
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.
Feedback from the public has been essential to the development of the draft Waste Plan. In the first phase of public engagement, we heard that residents want progressive, collective and innovative action. Residents offered their creative ideas for the City to explore as part of the planning process. In the second public engagement phase, we asked for feedback on a short list of options for the plan.
Residents are now invited to review the draft Waste Plan, which was presented to Committee and Council in November 2023. Your feedback will help inform Ottawa City Council’s decision on the final Waste Plan. It will also help guide priorities for staff as they develop the implementation plans that will put the Waste Plan into action.
How to participate Residents can visit Engage Ottawa to take a survey and register to participate in a virtual information session or an in-person open house.
The sessions will include:
· Opportunities for residents to ask questions to City staff about the draft Waste Plan.
· A review of how earlier feedback from residents helped to shape the Waste Plan.
· Discussions on the Waste Plan’s five areas of focus:
- Reduction and reuse of waste
- Recycling
- Waste recovery, energy and how to manage the waste that remains after recyclable materials have been separated.
- Operational advancements in the industry
- Fostering a zero-waste culture across Ottawa Waste Plan summary documents are available on Engage Ottawa in English and French as well as other languages commonly spoken in Ottawa.
If a resident does not have access to the internet to complete the survey, they can contact the Waste Plan team by phone at extension 25550.
Next steps
Staff will bring the final Waste Plan to City Council in June 2024.
The Waste Plan is a living document that will be updated every five years. As part of this review process, and as new strategies and programs are designed over the next five years, there will be additional opportunities for public engagement. To stay up to date, sign up for the Solid Waste Master Plan eNewsletter and visit Engage Ottawa.
