Every two weeks, Ottawans set their garbage out at the curb, and most of us don't think much about where it goes next. But the City makes choices that will shape how our waste is handled for decades, and those choices will affect the air we breathe, our land and water, and the City's finances, including the garbage fee that shows up on every household's property tax bill.
At Ecology Ottawa, we believe the best garbage is the garbage we never produce. We work with residents, community groups and City Council to cut waste at the source, give a second life to things we'd otherwise throw away, and make sure Ottawa's plans put people and the environment first.
Why?
A lot of what ends up in Ottawa's landfill never needed to be there. Food scraps could have gone in the green bin. Bottles and boxes could have been recycled. Plenty of it could have been used again. And burying it isn't cheap: City staff have estimated that a new landfill could cost up to $450 million, and every tonne we send there brings that bill closer. Back in June 2021, City Council set an aspirational goal of making Ottawa a zero waste city. We're here to help make that goal real, and to remind the Council of it when big decisions come up.
Our work
Anti-incineration campaign
The City is weighing whether to build a garbage incinerator, which supporters call "waste-to-energy" (a plant that burns garbage and recovers some of the heat as electricity). Council is expected to decide in early 2027. Burning our garbage would cost hundreds of millions of dollars, release toxic pollution and climate-warming emissions, and tie us to producing waste for decades.
Find out what's at stake and how you can make your voice heard before the decision.
Learn more about our anti-incineration campaign
Response to City of Ottawa's Long Term Waste Management Survey
Community Event Materials Reuse Library (EMRL)
Think about the last community event you went to: the paper plates and plastic tablecloths that went straight into the garbage afterwards. We're studying whether Ottawa could have a shared library where organizers borrow these things instead of buying them new and then trashing them right after the event. We'd love to hear what you think. Stay tuned for more information on this.
Waste reduction and diversion
We also speak up for the everyday programs that help Ottawa waste less, like funding for community waste projects and bringing recycling back to schools.
We've also pushed for a fairer way to pay for garbage. In 2023, City staff recommended a "pay-as-you-throw" bag tag system, where each household would get 55 garbage tags a year and pay a small fee for extras. It rewards people who throw out less, and staff estimated it could raise Ottawa's diversion rate by up to 6% and add up to two years to the life of the Trail Road landfill. Council chose a three-item limit instead. We'll keep making the case for it.
Get involved
There are lots of ways to be part of this work:
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Sign up to hear about our waste work and other environmental and climate programming
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Join our campaign to keep Ottawa incinerator-free: Sign the petition (Coming soon)
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Tell us what you think in our event materials survey (Coming soon)
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Follow us on social media to stay updated on the latest.