The City of Ottawa wants to hear your garbage opinions

Piles of garbage bags and recycling bins sit atop the snowbanks in Ottawa's Sandy Hill neighbourhood on Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2017.

The City of Ottawa is asking for feedback on how to handle trash, recycling, and becoming a zero-waste city.

Ottawa is developing a new Solid Waste Master Plan, to be completed next year. The plan will guide how the city manages solid waste over the next 30 years. A new survey has been made available to deliver your thoughts on solid waste in Ottawa.

"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," the city said in a PSA. "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 city is reviewing several things:

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

You can fill out a survey online at ottawa.ca/wasteplan between now and May 8. The survey is available in several languages. If you don’t have access to a computer, call 613-580-2424 ext. 25550 to complete the survey by phone.

There will also be online workshops, public discussion groups and information sessions throughout March and April. The city is also looking to hold smaller group info sessions with young people, older adults, racialized residents, new immigrants, and members of the 2SLGBTQQIA+ community.

The Trail Road landfill is more than 70 per cent full, meaning the city could run out of room in approximately 15 years if nothing changes, according to information heard at committee meetings in 2021.

More details on how to engage with the city on the Solid Waste Master Plan can be found on the city's website.