Ottawa faces a looming waste dilemma, and we need to take bold action. Fortunately, there are many intersecting solutions that we can - and should - choose to embrace. We at Ecology Ottawa support user pay to be adopted in Ottawa’s Solid Waste Master Plan, as one step that is part of an ambitious, concerted effort to reduce waste. User pay - or bag-and-tag, or pay-as-you-throw as this is sometimes called - is about reducing waste, not increasing cost for residents. Recycling and compost continue to be free for Ottawans, and there are many ways we can all reduce consumption and waste.