Mayor Mark Sutcliffe seeks to eliminate the proposed "Garbage Bag Tags" program for garbage collection in the city of Ottawa, saying that requiring residents to place a tag on each bag at the curb is a "cumbersome system."

On one hand, the Ottawa City Committee is preparing to discuss opinions on garbage collection and the proposed "Garbage Bag Tags" program. On the other hand, Sutcliffe wants to change the proposal to allow homeowners to place two bags at the curb every two weeks without a tag and then charge $3 for additional bags.

A report from the Environment and Climate Change Committee today also recommends that the City of Ottawa implement a "pay-as-you-throw" garbage program, as the city looks to encourage waste diversion and extend the life of the Trail Road landfill.

Under the proposed "Garbage Bag Tags" program, residents will be required to attach a tag to all discarded items placed at the curb. Additionally, each family will be given 55 tags annually as part of solid waste user fees. If the family runs out of tags before the end of the year, they will have to purchase additional tags, which cost $3 each.

Sutcliffe stated that each household will receive 15 free tags for an easy transition to the new system.

Sutcliffe compared the current garbage collection process to an open buffet, meaning you have to pay a certain amount for the buffet even if you do not eat, which means we pay for garbage disposal regardless of whether we throw out garbage or not. He added, "By switching to the new system, residents will have an incentive to produce less garbage, use organics and recycling instead of throwing them out with the garbage."

The mayor also believes that the City of Ottawa should take smart measures to reduce the amount of garbage going to landfills, including addressing the lack of diversion in multi-residential buildings and also taking immediate steps to divert more residential waste.

City staff recommended the "Garbage Bag Tags" program as a short-term solution to help extend the life of the Trail Road landfill.

Considering that the landfill at the southern end of Ottawa has only 30% of its capacity remaining since 2019, space is expected to be exhausted between 2036 and 2038.

The expected cost of a new landfill ranges between $300 million and $450 million and will take about 15 years to be fully operational.

The city estimates that the "pay-as-you-throw" program will reduce garbage volume by up to 19% in the first year, and up to 28% by the fifth year. Estimates also indicate that the new Garbage Bag Tags program will increase waste diversion rates by up to 6% and recycling volume by up to 19%.

Staff acknowledge that the "pay-as-you-throw" program will require a certain level of change for all residents, including tagging items at the curb, but they say one in four residents will have to change their waste management habits. A city study found that 74% of families put out two bags of garbage or less every two weeks for collection.

Many other municipalities use a bag tagging system, including Gatineau, Carleton Place, and Kingston. The City of Gatineau requires tags for any bags that do not fit in the home's grey garbage bin, with a maximum of five additional bags per week. A sheet of five tags costs $2.50.

If council members vote to proceed with the "pay-as-you-throw" program, bag tagging will begin in spring 2024.