Ottawa plans to send 60,000 tonnes of garbage a year to private landfills

The city of Ottawa is looking to send 60,000 tonnes of residential garbage a year to two private landfills, helping to extend the life of the rapidly filling up Trail Road Landfill by at least two years.

The plan to use two private landfills to divert one third of the city's household garbage, starting in 2026, is one of the recommendations in a new report for the city's Environment Committee on changes to the residential curbside collection contract.

It would cost the city $8 million a year to divert 60,000 tonnes of trash to the two private landfills, but staff say it would be offset by "operational efficiencies, fuel savings and extending the life of the Trail Waste Facility Landfill by preserving valuable air space."

Ottawa's only municipally run landfill is the Trail Road Waste Facility on Trail Road, which is expected to run out of space in the next 13 to 15 years. The draft Solid Waste Master Plan to be tabled this fall will outline possible medium and long-term solutions for Ottawa's household garbage, including building a new landfill, an incineration facility or other options.

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In the spring, council voted in favour of implementing a three-garbage bin limit for households every two weeks to help reduce waste going to the city landfill.

A report for the Sept. 19 Environment Committee meeting recommends councillors approve sending 60,000 tonnes of curbside waste a year over seven years to two private landfills, instead of the Trail Waste Facility Landfill, starting in 2026.

"This is equivalent to approximately one third of residential garbage collected annually within the city," staff say.

"This is expected to extend the life of the Trail Waste Facility Landfill by up to two years with the potential for more if diversion efforts are increased."

The two private landfills available for the city of Ottawa to send residential waste are Waste Management's West Carleton Environmental Centre on Carp Road and the GFL's Transfer Station on Corduroy Road in conjunction with the Moose Creek Landfill.

Staff say it would cost the city $8 million a year to send residential garbage to private landfills, but it would be offset by "operational efficiencies" and extending the life of the landfill by "preserving valuable air space."

"Staff expect by increasing efficiencies, this cost will be offset by minimizing collection costs in the bids received for the next collection contract. In addition, by diverting waste there is an asset value savings of approximately $6 million annually by preserving air space at the Trail Waste Facility Landfill but will not impact budget requirements in 2026."

The report says by diverting 60,000 tonnes of garbage per year from Trail Road, there is a "conservative potential" to avoid full garbage trucks travelling 3,600 km a year.

"Further, by using private landfills in the west and east end, garbage can be processed closer to where it is collected, increasing collection efficiencies (mitigating collection cost increases), by reducing the number of kilometres travelled which in turn reduces fuel costs and provides for greenhouse gas emissions reductions (GHG) as opposed to hauling it to the Trail Waste Facility Landfill," staff said.

The report adds diverting some residential waste aligns with the Council-approved goals of the Solid Waste Master Plan to extend the life of the Trail Road Landfill and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Waste Management's Carp Landfill originally reached capacity in 2008, but the company received approval from the Ministry of Environment for an expanded footprint, with a maximum collection rate of 400,000 tonnes per year, according to the city of Ottawa report. It's expected to become an active landfill facility in 2024.

The report also recommends council direct staff to review the approach for the future use of private landfills.

Meantime, there will be several changes to curbside solid waste collection starting in 2026, under the proposed new rules.

Staff are proposing a shift to a four-day collection week, Monday to Thursday, to realize operational efficiencies and increase employee retention. Residents would be required to set out leaf and yard waste in a separate container from the Green Bin to reduce processing costs for the material.

Staff also say the blue and black boxes will no longer be collected through the city or curbside contract as a result of the transition to the Provincial Blue Box Program under the Individual Producer Responsibility in January 2026.

Under the new contract in 2026, garbage collection will continue biweekly, while the Green Bin will be collected weekly.