About half of all Ottawa residents will see changes to their garbage, green bin and yard waste collection schedules as of March 30 as a new curbside collection contract comes into effect.
The city’s new collection contract includes “updated service levels” and was approved by council in September 2023, according to a memo to council from Shelley McDonald, the city’s director of solid waste services, on Wednesday.
The new collection contract says schedule changes are focused on “maximizing route efficiencies.”
Residents can find updated collection schedules on
the city’s website
, and all households will receive a mailed letter in February reminding them to check their updated collection schedules online.
Collection frequency will remain the same: green bin and yard waste will still be collected weekly, and garbage will be collected every two weeks. Holiday “push days” will also remain in effect.
However, it’s not yet clear whether recycling collection days will also shift to align with the updated garbage and green bin collection schedules.
As of Jan. 1, recycling responsibility shifted to a
new province-wide program
administered by the non-profit organization Circular Materials with contractor Miller Waste Services responsible for
collecting recycling from curbsides
.
Recycling collection days have so far been consistent with Ottawa’s garbage and green bin collection schedule.
Circular Materials did not immediately respond for comment when asked if it intended to shift its recycling collection schedule so residents wouldn’t have multiple collection days each week.
What else is new under the new contract?
Another notable change is that leaf and yard waste will have to be set out separately from the green bin, starting March 30.
Residents can either use paper yard waste bags or clearly marked reusable containers for leaf and yard waste.
This change aims to “support cost-effective processing,” as the new contract states that leaf and yard waste will be redirected to the Barnsdale processing facility at the Trail Waste Facility Landfill.
This will also be the last year that residents will receive paper-based collection calendars by mail. As of 2027, the city will implement a digital model where residents can receive email or telephone reminders and access a calendar through a mobile app.
