Ottawa to begin enforcement of new 3-item garbage limit in November

A worker rides on the back of a waste collection vehicle in Ottawa. (CTV News Ottawa)

The City of Ottawa is set to ramp up enforcement of the new three-item garbage limit in November.

Ottawa implemented the new three-item limit on all households that receive curbside waste pickup on September 30, with the goal of extending the life of the Trail Road Waste Facility.

In October, all garbage left at the curb was collected, with staff leaving a “custom non-compliance tag” on any garbage bins or items over the three-item limit indicating the limit had been exceeded.

Starting Nov. 4, if the three-item limit is exceeded, one item will be left behind with a courtesy tag explaining the new limit and why the item was left. Any garbage over the three-item limit must be placed in a yellow bag for staff to pick it up. Yellow bags are now available for purchase at Client Service Centres, select recreation community centres and Home Hardware stores.

Starting in December, any garbage above the three-item limit will be left at the curb.

In the first two weeks of the three-item limit, the city said less than two per cent of households exceeded the three-item limit.

For the week of Sept. 30 to Oct. 4, 1.81 per cent of the 151,185 households exceeded the three-item limit, while 1.04 per cent of the 155,676 households exceeded the limit for the week of Oct. 7 to Oct. 11.

“A reminder that if a bin over the 140L limit is used for garbage set-out, or if properties set out an amount over the three-item garbage limit, Solid Waste staff will leave a courtesy tag to explain why waste was not collected,” Shelley McDonald, Director of Solid Waste Services, said in a statement.

“Courtesy tags have been used to educate residents on waste disposal allowances in the past, and will continue to be used moving forward to support residents in adapting to this policy change.”

The City of Ottawa provides examples of the new three-item garbage limit, which takes effect Sept. 30. (City of Ottawa/release)

Yellow bags

Starting in November, any garbage over the three-item limit must be placed in a yellow bag.

Yellow bags will be sold in packages of four for $17.60.

“There is no limit to the number of yellow bags that can be purchased and set out on garbage day,” the city says.

The city says large bulky items and furniture cannot be bagged.

Here is the list where yellow bags are available:

Ottawa’s Client Service Centre locations during business hours.

Retailers

• Beacon Hill Home Hardware, 1934 Montreal Road located in Ogilvie Square
• Bridlewood Home Hardware, 90 Michael Cowpland Drive
• Capital Home Hardware, 736 Bank Street
• Elmvale Acres Home Hardware, 1910 St. Laurent Boulevard located in Elmvale Acres Shopping Centre
• Leitrim Home Hardware, 4836 Bank Street
• Manotick Home Hardware, 1166 Beaverwood Road located in the Mews of Manotick
• Morris Home Hardware, 1226 Wellington Street
• Stittsville Home Hardware, 6001 Hazeldean Road
• Trudel Home Hardware, 329 March Road
• Orleans Home Hardware, 470 Charlemagne Boulevard
• Richmond BMR, 6379 Perth Road  

Recreation and Community Centres

• Albion-Heatherington Recreation Centre, 1560 Heatherington Rd
• Alexander Community Centre, 960 Silver St
• Bob MacQuarrie Recreation Complex - Orléans, 1490 Youville Dr
• CARDELREC Recreation Complex Goulbourn, 1500 Shea Rd
• Carleton Heights Community Centre, 1665 Apeldoorn Ave
• François Dupuis Recreation Centre, 2263 Portobello Blvd.
• Hunt Club-Riverside Park Community Centre, 3320 Paul Anka Dr
• Jack Purcell Community Centre, 320 Jack Purcell Ln
• Minto Recreation Complex – Barrhaven, 3500 Cambrian Rd
• Nepean Sportsplex, 1701 Woodroffe Ave
• Overbrook Community Centre, 33 Quill St
• St. Laurent Complex, 525 Coté St
• Walter Baker Sports Centre,100 Malvern Drive