Jenna Jessop
"I think we need to look at waste from both sides: how we can keep more material out of the landfill in the first place, and what we do with the waste that is left.
One of the simplest things we can do is make it easier for residents to divert waste. People need convenient options for things like electronics, textiles, hazardous waste and other items that should not end up in the garbage. If we make the right choice difficult or inconvenient, we are less likely to get the results we want.
I would also like to see more support for reuse and repair. Repair cafés, tool libraries, swap events and other community programs can help people extend the life of things they already own instead of throwing them away and buying new. That is what a circular economy should be about: keeping products and materials in use for as long as possible.
At the same time, I think Ottawa needs to be open to exploring proven waste technologies for the material that is still left after we reduce, reuse, recycle and compost as much as reasonably possible. I would want any option to be carefully evaluated for its cost, environmental impact, reliability and how much waste it would actually keep out of landfill.
There probably isn't one solution to Ottawa's waste problem. We need to make it easier to divert waste today while also being willing to explore better ways of managing what remains in the future."
David Purchase
"I think we need to be careful about putting more and more of the responsibility for waste reduction onto individual residents. I don't support continuing to reduce how much garbage a household is allowed to put out and treating that as the solution.
A lot of what residents throw away started with decisions made long before they bought it. How much packaging was used? Could the product be repaired? Could the materials be recycled or reused? I think we need to put more responsibility on the companies producing and selling those products instead of continually asking residents to do more with less.
Ontario has already moved in that direction with the Blue Box system, where producers are now responsible for the materials they put into the recycling system. I think that's the right principle.
At the City level, I would focus on making recycling, organics, reuse and repair easier for people who want to use them, while looking seriously at better ways to deal with the waste that remains. Ottawa's landfill does have a limited life, so we can't ignore the problem. But I don't think the answer is simply another restriction on households.
A circular economy makes sense when we're keeping useful materials and products out of the landfill and getting more value out of them. I support practical solutions that accomplish that without pretending Ottawa residents can solve a much larger waste problem on their own."
~~
Response in French Provided by the Candidate
"Je pense qu'il faut faire attention avant de toujours demander aux résidents d'en faire plus pour réduire les déchets. Je ne suis pas en faveur de continuer à réduire la quantité de déchets qu'une famille peut mettre au chemin et de présenter ça comme la solution.
Une grande partie du problème commence bien avant que quelque chose arrive dans nos maisons. Les entreprises décident de l'emballage, des matériaux utilisés et souvent si un produit peut être réparé ou non. Il faut donc qu'elles aient aussi une responsabilité beaucoup plus importante.
L'Ontario a déjà commencé à aller dans cette direction avec le système de recyclage, où les producteurs sont maintenant responsables des matériaux qu'ils mettent sur le marché. C'est une approche qui a du sens pour moi.
À la Ville, je préfère qu'on rende le recyclage, le compostage, la réutilisation et la réparation plus faciles pour les gens plutôt que d'imposer continuellement de nouvelles restrictions aux ménages. Il faut aussi être réalistes : notre site d'enfouissement a une durée de vie limitée et Ottawa doit prévoir ce qui viendra après.
Pour moi, l'économie circulaire devient intéressante lorsqu'on réussit à réutiliser des produits et des matériaux qui auraient autrement été jetés. Faisons-le de façon pratique, mais ne faisons pas croire aux résidents d'Ottawa que ce problème repose entièrement sur leurs épaules."