Mayor, some councillors looking to toss 'bag tag' proposal for Ottawa garbage in the dump

Mayor Mark Sutcliffe and some councillors are looking to trash the proposed 'bag tag' system for garbage collection, and will look to introduce a hard cap on the number of garbage containers you can put at the curb every two weeks.

Sutcliffe says he has been working with councillors Marty Carr and David Brown, along with environment and climate change committee chair Shawn Menard, on a compromise motion to eliminate the idea of a 'partial-pay-as-you-throw' system.

The proposed motion for Wednesday's council meeting would establish a maximum limit of three containers for garbage every two weeks, "with no bag system," according to the mayor.

"It is a reasonable solution and easy to implement for the majority of Ottawa residents and doesn't require garbage tags or anything like thath that people were opposed to," Sutcliffe said.

Sutcliffe said on Twitter on the motion will also propose a "third-party review of waste-diversion data to ensure we have the best possible information to support all of our decisions in the months ahead."

Sutcliffe says the three container limit of garbage at the curb means households can put "two or three bags of garbage into a garbage can and that counts as one item."

Sources told CTV News Ottawa Monday morning that a compromise motion was in the works for Wednesday's council meeting to impose a three-item limit on households for garbage collection every two weeks, instead of the proposed 'bag tag' system.

The mayor admits the 'bag tag' program was not a popular proposal.

"There was resistance to the idea of a program with tags, so we're respecting that and we'll try this system and see how it goes over the next couple of years," Sutcliffe told CTV News Ottawa.

Council will debate the future of waste collection in Ottawa during Wednesday's meeting, after the environment and climate change failed to reach consensus on a new curbside waste diversion strategy.

Staff recommended the city of Ottawa implement a "partial-pay-as-you-throw" system for garbage collection, requiring all garbage items placed at the curb to have a tag. Residents would receive 55 tags for the full year, with additional tags costing $3.

Carr introduced a motion, supported by Sutcliffe, to allow residents to place two items at the curb every two weeks with no tag, with additional items requiring a tag at a cost of $3 each. Under the proposal, homeowners would receive 15 free tags to help ease the transition.

Both proposals failed in a tie 5-5 votes at the committee.

Sutcliffe unveiled plans for the new garbage strategy after his proposal for a "partial-pay-as-you-throw" was defeated at committee last week.

"This new proposal is a much less complicated solution that will still divert waste from landfill and save money for taxpayers. It represents a vital step towards extending our landfill and will allow staff the opportunity to study options for long-term solutions," Sutcliffe said on Twitter.

"There are other details in the motion that will be part of the discussion at council on Wednesday. The new measures must be supported by effective communication with residents so they understand all of their options to reduce garbage and meet the new limits."

Ottawa currently has a six item limit for garbage collection every two weeks.

City staff unveiled the proposed 'bag tag' system as part of a strategy to encourage people to use green bin and recycling, and extend the life of the Trail Road Landfill.

Staff say 74 per cent of households put out two garbage items or less every two weeks, while 85 per cent of households put out three items or less.

Staff estimate the current Trail Road Landfill will reach capacity between 2036 and 2038, with a new landfill costing $300 million to $450 million.

More than 130 municipalities in Ontario have a pay-as-you-throw program for garbage collection.

The proposed 'bag tag' system for garbage collection has received backlash since it was unveiled in May, with several councillors saying they have received hundreds of emails opposed to a tagging system for garbage.

Coun. Riley Brockington tells Newstalk 580 CFRA's Ottawa at Work the three bag cap proposal is similar to a motion he presented to the environment and climate change committee last week. That motion was defeated by an 8-2 vote.

"I want to see the maximum number of bags you can put out reduced and I do not support bag tags," Brockington said on Newstalk 580 CFRA.

"As much as I want less waste to be created, as much as I want the three major diversion programs to be fully utilized, I've never supported a 'bag tag' program."

Brockington says the "challenge" for council is neither the 'bag tag' supporters or opponents can get the support to pass their plan.

Speaking on Newstalk 580 CFRA's Ottawa at Work with guest host Graham Richardson, Coun. Allan Hubley said he does not support a 'bag tag' system.

"There's a lot of discussion about the limit, whether it's two bag, three bag or four bag – so three would be the natural compromise," Hubley said Monday morning.

"There's two very distinct groups amongst council on the tags. I think this is a penalty on residents and I will not support any notion of tags for residents. The punishment should go to council because we didn't solve this in the previous terms, so we've got to roll up our sleeves and get it done now."

Hubley says the proposed 'bag tag' policy, with a $3 charge for additional tags, is a "penalty" on residents and on larger families.

"We've got to figure out how do we accommodate larger families," Hubley said.

"The big issue, the one that's not getting discussed in any of this because we're doing bag tag before about we talk about waste as a whole problem, is the multi-residential units. There's no recycling or composting or anything going on and that’s a huge segment of the waste that’s being produced for the landfill."

Both Hubley and Brockington say it's unclear how enforcement of a three-bag limit would be handled by city staff.

"If we put it back on the collectors to police this thing, you're going to ruin the service that we have now," Hubley said.

"I'm not in favour of having a large garbage police force here."

Sutcliffe says the city of Ottawa still needs to introduce new measures to reduce waste generated by multi-residential buildings, and work is underway on a "long-term solution."

"This has been a challenging process with a lot of strong feelings expressed, but that’s the nature of municipal government and I’m hopeful that this proposal strikes the right balance," Sutcliffe said.

The mayor admits "all options are on the table" for the future of garbage in Ottawa, as the landfill continues to fill up.

With files from CTV News Ottawa's Leah Larocque