Have your say on the city’s draft Solid Waste Master Plan--Open House Feb. 15
One of the most important discussions we will have as a city during this Term of Council is happening right now. We need to decide how we will manage our solid waste over the next 30 years. There are serious decisions to be made and the city is interested in hearing your thoughts. From now until Thursday, March 7, you will have several opportunities to get directly involved in the conversation.
The focus of the discussion will be the city’s Solid Waste Master Plan. The plan will determine how we, as a community, will manage our waste over the next 30 years. Ottawa’s vision is to be a zero-waste city. But, as of now, more than half of what we throw in the garbage could be recycled or composted, instead. We need a plan that helps us realize that vision while also recognizing the realities of climate change and that our existing city landfill is nearly out of room.
This is the third round of public input on the plan. Resident input has been essential throughout the development process. In the first phase of public engagement, the city heard that residents want progressive, collective, and innovative action. In the second public engagement phase, residents were asked to provide feedback on a short list of options for the plan. This latest phase of engagement gives residents an opportunity to review the draft plan and provide their comments. And the first opportunity for Ward 9 residents to do that is fast-approaching.
Next week, city staff will host an engagement open house at the Nepean Sportsplex. It will be held on February 15th from 7:00pm to 9:00pm in the Richmond Ballroom. You can drop by, learn about the plan, and city staff will be on hand to answer any questions you might have.
If you can’t attend the open house at the Sportsplex, there are many other ways you can get involved:
- Residents can visit Engage Ottawa, learn about the plan there and take a survey and find information about the other in-person open houses in another part of the city; or,
- Register to participate in one of two virtual information sessions:
All of the sessions will include:
- Opportunities for residents to ask questions to City staff about the draft Waste Plan;
- A review of how earlier feedback from residents helped to shape the Waste Plan;
- Discussions on the Waste Plan’s five areas of focus:
- Reduction and reuse of waste;
- Recycling;
- Waste recovery, energy and how to manage the waste that remains after recyclable materials have been separated;
- Operational advancements in the industry; and,
- Fostering a zero-waste culture across Ottawa.
Waste Plan summary documents are available on Engage Ottawa in English and French as well as other languages commonly spoken in Ottawa.
If you or someone you know cannot complete the survey online, they can contact the Waste Plan team by phone at extension 25550.
Next steps
The finalized Solid Waste Master Plan will come to City Council for approval in June of this year.
The plan is, however, a living document. It will be updated every five years. As part of the regular review process, and as new strategies and programs are designed over the next five years, there will be additional opportunities for public engagement. You can stay up to date by signing up for the Solid Waste Master Plan eNewsletter and keep visiting Engage Ottawa.
If you’d like to know more about the city’s garbage and recycling programs, here is a series of helpful videos:
- Ottawa’s Green Bin Program & Composting Process Explained (3:39)
- What Happens to My Garbage? (5:05)
- What Happens to My Recycling? (4:58)
If you want to know more about city programs and services, in general, you can visit ottawa.ca, call 3-1-1 (TTY: 613-580-2401) or 613-580-2400 to contact the city using Canada Video Relay Service. You can also connect with the city through Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
