Programs
The City of Ottawa manages solid
waste from approximately 370,000 households[1]
and 425 non-residential establishments (small businesses, schools etc.). It
provides curbside collection services, including Blue/Black Box, source
separated organics (Green Bin and leaf and yard waste) and garbage, to
approximately 252,000 curbside households, as well as providing collection
services for Blue/Black Box, source separated organics (Green Bin and leaf and
yard waste) where applicable, and garbage, to approximately 118,000 high
density households.
The City also hosts several one-day
Household Hazardous Waste drop-off events throughout the year, which allows
residents to drop off hazardous household wastes, including items such as
paint, motor oil, propane cylinders, medications, fertilizers, pesticides and
pool chemicals. A total of 13 events are scheduled for 2011.
The Yellow Bag program provides
businesses who generate waste similar in volume and composition to that of a
residential property the option of participating in the program. The program
offers curbside collection of blue and black box, source separated organics and
garbage. Currently there are approximately 260 businesses registered in the
program.
The Take It Back! program is a
voluntary stewardship program that provides residents the option to safely
dispose, recycle or reuse unwanted consumer products, instead of sending them
to the landfill. There are over 600
retailers participating in the program, which accepts a wide range of materials
including electronics, garden supplies, automotive and health products.
The City is also currently involved
in a number of initiatives aimed related to sustainable waste management,
including:
·
Green Bin in Schools
program (pilot);
·
Waste diversion at
City facilities;
·
Recycling containers
for special events; and
·
Developing a Green
Procurement Policy.
Service delivery of City-provided
waste management services is not uniform across the city. Furthermore, at various times it has been
suggested that the City expand or reduce the types of land uses and agencies it
serves. A clear policy framework is
needed to define who the City will and won’t service, with the rationale
developed in consultation with affected stakeholders. Similarly, the cost recovery methods to be
used for servicing different customer groups require examination and clearly
documented policies.
Infrastructure
The City relies on a mix of public
and private infrastructure to deliver its waste programs, as follows:
·
Collection - a fleet of approximately
115 trucks to collect material, some of which are owned and operated by the
City;
·
Processing – three (3)
privately owned and operated processing facilities – one for paper and
cardboard, one for glass, metals and plastics and one for organics; and
·
Disposal – the City owns and operates the
Trail Road Landfill, which has a total capacity of 17 million cubic meters of
airspace. Based on current disposal rates and maintaining the status quo
(assuming waste disposal at the same rate as 2010), it is estimated that the
facility has a site life of 24 years[2].
The City also owns another landfill,
Springhill, which is currently operated by a third party. The facility
primarily receives construction and demolition waste from Eastern Ontario.
Based on current disposal rates, the facility is expected to close as early as
2018[3].
In 2005, the City entered into a
partnership with Plasco Energy Group for the construction of an 85 tonne/day
facility at the former Nepean Landfill, with the intent to construct a 400 t/d
facility should the plant prove environmentally and economically viable. Negotiations for the full-scale plant have
been underway for several months, but with no firm agreement at this point. It is fair to say, however, that there is a
good potential for energy from waste in the future management of solid waste in
the city.
In addition to the waste management
infrastructure owned by the City, there are a number of privately owned waste
management companies operating in the Ottawa. These companies provide
collection, process and disposal options to the IC&I sector.