Ottawa city council explores incineration, other options for trash

Ottawa city council has told city staff to research options for handling the capital’s garbage, other than burying it in a landfill.

The motion, from Kanata-South ward councillor Allan Hubley, for city staff to find alternative ways to divert waste, in order to extend the lifespan of the Trail Road Landfill, which only has 10-15 years left.

The motion comes as the city looks at a separate idea to implement a “bag tag” policy to help extend the life of the landfill; something Hubley is against.

“The thing that happens with bag tags that we see in other municipalities that use it, is that dumping goes up,” Hubley says. “We’ve already got a dumping issue where people are taking their garbage and they’re throwing it onto other people’s property. If you’re in a bag tag situation, that means someone else has to pay.”

The program requires residents to put a tag on each garbage bag, bin or item placed at the curb for pickup, while curbside recycling and green bins will not require a tag under the proposed system.

The proposed plan would provide each household with 55 tags for the full year, and additional tags would cost $3 each.

Hubley’s motion, which passed at city council Wednesday, has directed city staff to research other potential ideas, including incineration, as Hubley says the technology has come a long way since it was dismissed by a previous council as not environmentally friendly. Hubley’s motion also places an emphasis on technologies that could also generate heat and/or electricity.

City staff will report back with their findings before the end of 2023.