Ban on industrial waste at Trail Road landfill expected to extend dump’s life by 1 year

A truck dumps garbage at the Trail Road landfill in Ottawa in this undated photo. (Leah Larocque/CTV News Ottawa)

City of Ottawa staff say a ban on industrial, commercial and institutional waste at the Trail Road landfill will begin on July 1 and is expected to extend the life of the landfill by one year.

The ban was part of the city’s Solid Waste Master Plan, which was approved by council last year.

In a memo released Tuesday, city staff say industrial, commercial and institutional waste tends to be bulkier, harder to compact, and takes up airspace more quickly than household waste. The waste comes from locations like factories, commercial businesses, hospitals, schools and recreational facilities, construction sites, and apartments, according to the Ontario government.

• RELATED: Ottawa’s new waste plan looks to extend life of Trail Road Landfill

The ban includes all waste produced or handled by the industrial, commercial and institutional sectors, including charities, the city says. It will apply to all commercial vehicles, vehicles larger than a half-ton pickup, trailers with more than one axle, any vehicle or trailer with a dumping mechanism or any vehicle with business markings. It does not apply to commercial metal waste, commercial e-waste or commercially collected leaf and yard waste.

The last day to dispose of industrial, commercial and institutional waste will be June 30, 2025.

The city says there are several private landfills that will continue to take industrial, commercial and institutional waste after the ban is implemented:

• Waste Management West Carleton Environmental Centre, 2301 Carp Rd.
• Tomlinson Waste Recovery Centre and Transfer Station, 106 Westhunt Dr.
• Waste Connections Ottawa Landfill, 3354 Navan Rd.
• GFL Beckwith Transfer Station, 9271 Cavanagh Rd., Carleton Place

The ban will result in lower tipping fee revenue. The staff memo does not estimate how much revenue would be lost.

“After assessing the financial implications of not accepting IC&I waste (and tipping fees) compared to the cost of landfill airspace it occupies, it was found that the benefits of preserved airspace far outweighs the loss in revenue over time,” the memo says.

The Trail Road landfill primarily accepts Ottawa’s curbside residential waste. It also accepts some waste from public facilities, multi-residential buildings and from drop-offs by the public. The landfill is expected to reach capacity in 2034.

Earlier this year, the city launched an environmental assessment for a short-term expansion of the landfill to extend its life to 2048. Last year, the city also implemented a new three-item limit on household garbage, with additional items required to be in a yellow bag purchased from the city, in an effort to divert waste from the landfill.