Garbage options: Ottawa identifies waste-to-energy incinerator as one of the best options for city’s garbage

City staff have selected what they think are the best options to deal with Ottawa’s trash once the Trail Road landfill reaches capacity. CTV’s Stefan Keyes.

The City of Ottawa has identified a waste-to-energy incinerator as one of the best options to deal with the city’s future garbage, but it would cost between $497 million and $862 million to build and there is a complex regulatory approval process.

With the Trail Road landfill expected to reach capacity in the next 10 to 15 years, the city is exploring options to deal with the city’s future garbage. In 2023, council directed staff to explore “proven technologies” to handle the city’s future waste management needs, including looking at waste-to-energy incineration and mixed waste processing.

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The city explored five options:

• Status quo and private landfills once Trail Road landfill is full
• Waste-to-energy incineration facility
• Mixed waste processing facility
• Waste-to-energy incineration and mixed waste processing facility
• Build a new landfill

A report for the Environment and Climate Change Committee meeting on June 17 says a feasibility study recommended two top-ranked options – building a waste-to-energy incineration facility or continuing to dispose of non-diverted waste at the Trail Road landfill until it reaches capacity and then using one or several private landfills in the region.

Staff recommend the city conduct an “in-depth evaluation” of three scenarios; the use of private facilities once Trail Road is full, building a waste-to-energy incinerator (WTE) in the City of Ottawa, and also explore building a new municipal landfill because it would be required if the city does proceed with a waste-to-energy incinerator or a mixed waste processing facility.

“The WTE Incineration Facility was the highest ranked technology, as it offers significant environmental benefits, including a 77 per cent landfill diversion rate and energy recovery, which aligns with the City’s strategic priorities,” staff said. “However, the implementation of a WTE Incineration Facility presents substantial capital costs ($497 million – $862 million), a complex regulatory approval process and divided public support.”

Coun. Riley Brockington says the city needs to explore the option of building an incinerator for garbage.

“I’m open to learning about it. It’s very expensive,” Brockington said.

“When the time comes to build it could be close to $1 billion dollars, so you have to weight that against the other two opinions. But we need to find a home for this waste and if we are not going to build a new landfill, then incineration is one of those options that could be on the table.”

Waste Watch Ottawa is raising concerns about the potential environmental impacts of a waste-to-energy facility.

“It’s a completely false dream that incineration is just going to make this magically disappear,” Duncan Bury said. “One of the worries I have is the studies they presented kind of soft-pedal the environmental impacts of incineration.”

A new landfill would cost an estimated $439 million and $761 million. The report does not provide a cost for the scenario using private landfills, but staff estimated tipping fees would increase from the current $150 per tonne to $250.

The two other scenarios the city looked at, but are deciding not to explore further, are building a mixed waste processing facility or a scenario using both a waste-to-energy incineration facility and a mixed waste processing facility. Staff say a mixed waste processing facility would only increase waste diversion by eight per cent and 92 per cent of incoming waste would require landfilling, and a facility has “high disposal costs.”

The report recommends council direct staff to launch an “in-depth evaluation” of the three scenarios and report back with a recommendation and a finalized business case as “soon as practical within the next term of council.” The next term of council will decide how Ottawa handles its future waste.

“Staff recognize that the City is at a critical juncture in terms of timelines and planning for the future of waste management,” the report says.

“From approvals to implementation, long-term solutions can take upwards of 10 years. Therefore, a decision on Ottawa’s future waste management system is required by 2029. This would allow for a new landfill or technology to be developed and assumes the above-noted initiatives are successful in extending the life of Trail.”

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The City of Ottawa generated 201,100 tonnes of garbage and bulky waste in 2024.

CTV News Ottawa looks at what you need to know about the options to deal with Ottawa’s future garbage.

Trail Road Landfill

The City of Ottawa owns and operates the Trail Waste Facility Landfill on Trail Road.

The landfill is expected to reach capacity between 2034 and 2035, based on the status quo disposal rates. Staff say the ban on industrial, commercial and institutional waste will add an additional year of life to the landfill and the plan to send 60,000 tonnes of waste a year to private landfills could add two additional years of life.

“Waste reduction and diversion efforts could result in four additional years of landfill life,” staff say.

Last September, the city implemented a three-item garbage limit on household garbage to help extend the life of the Trail Road dump.

The City of Ottawa has also launched an Environmental Assessment to expand the Trail Road landfill within its current boundaries, could provide 15 additional years of landfill life.

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

Three scenarios for in-depth evaluation

Here is a look at the three scenarios the City of Ottawa will study for the future of Ottawa’s garbage.

Staff say Option 1 and Option 2 tied for first during the comparative evaluation. The new landfill facility was the least preferred option.

Option 1 - Status quo and use private landfills

Cost: No cost listed. Staff looked at a tipping fee of $250 per tonne compared to $150 tonne charged today.

The City of Ottawa says, under this option, the city would continue to dispose of non-diverted waste for final disposal to the Trail Road landfill until it reaches capacity and then negotiates deals to dispose of the city’s garbage at one or several private landfills in the area.

“This option tied for highest ranking; however, it exposes the city to long-term financial and environmental risks, including escalating landfill tipping fees, reduced airspace and/or capacity at regional waste facilities, limited control over disposal operations, and an increased risk of potentially higher greenhouse gas emissions, as it is not known if the facility is a landfill with a poor landfill gas collection system, a yet to be built WTE incineration facility or another waste management facility,” the report says. “Nonetheless, it offers a minimal capital investment, regulatory simplicity, and ease of implementation.”

Staff note the four private landfills in eastern Ontario have the potential to receive “portions or all of the city’s waste for the majority, but not all, of the city’s 30-year planning period.”

Score: Highest score in “social requirements” and “technical requirements.” Lowest score for environmental requirements.

Option 2 - Waste to Energy Facility

Cost: Construction costs between $497 million and $862 million, plus an average of $47 million in direct operating and maintenance costs. Staff say annual revenues from electricity sales would be $17.9 million a year.

The City of Ottawa would build a waste-to-energy facility to process all post-recycled residual waste and recover energy. The city says in a traditional mass burn process, waste is fed into a hopper or feed chute where it enters the furnace and is combusted using excess air to generate heat and reduce the volume of waste.

“The WTE Incineration Facility was the highest ranked technology as it offers significant environmental benefits, including a 77 per cent landfill diversion rate and energy recovery, which aligns with the City’s strategic priorities,” staff said. “However, the implementation of a WTE Incineration Facility presents substantial capital costs, a complex regulatory approval process and divided public support. While WTE has the potential for long-term cost stabilization through energy revenue, its financial viability remains contingent on securing funding and identifying an appropriate delivery model to outline how the project will be planned, organized and implemented.”

There are five mass burn incineration waste-to-energy facilities operating in Canada, including one in Durham-York Region and one in Brampton.

Score: Highest score for environmental requirements.

Option 5 – Build a new landfill

Cost: Approximately $439 million to $761 million for capital expenditures and $16.5 million a year in operating and maintenance costs. Ontario’s requirement for a renewable natural gas collection and conditioning system added between $45 million and $60 million in capital costs.

Under this plan, the city would build a “new greenfield landfill within the region” for all non-recyclable residuals after the Trail Road landfill reaches capacity.

“Landfilling remains the most widely used waste disposal method globally and will continue to play a role in the city’s waste management strategy, regardless of whether waste-to-energy or mixed waste processing technologies are implemented, as both generate residual waste requiring disposal,” the report says.

“A new landfill presents high regulatory, social, environmental, and economic/financial risks, particularly due to hydrogeological uncertainty, land acquisition requirements, and leachate management challenges. Landfills also have strong potential for public opposition, and, while landfill technology is well established, securing approvals, managing long-term liabilities, and mitigating social resistance make this a highly challenging option for the City.”

Score: Lowest score for social requirements.

Two other options

Staff explored two other options for Ottawa’s waste but recommended no longer studying the options.

Option 3 – Mixed Waste Processing Facility

Cost: $97 million to $168 million for initial capital expenditures and an average of $70 million a year in operating and maintenance costs. Sales from the recovered commodities are estimated to be $4.4 million a year.

The city builds a mixed waste processing (MWP) facility to process all non-diverted waste, recover additional recyclables and dispose of the remaining process residuals at a private third-party waste management facility.

Staff say a new mixed waste processing facility would divert approximately eight per cent of remaining materials, resulting in a larger option of non-diverted waste requiring a landfill.

“While MWP offers the lowest social risk, it presents significant financial, operational, and market risks due to its reliance on third-party landfills, fluctuating tipping fees, and unstable commodity markets for recovered materials,” the report says.

“The high capital and operational costs coupled with potential maintenance and performance challenges make long-term viability a concern. Successful implementation would require careful site selection, odour mitigation strategies, and securing long-term disposal agreements to mitigate cost risks.”

Option 4 – Mixed Waste Processing Facility and a Waste to Energy Facility

Cost: Construction costs between $556 million and $965 million a year, plus an average of $72.8 million for operating and maintenance costs a year. Annual revenues would be $21 million a year.

Under this option, the city builds a mixed waste processing facility to recover additional recyclables and builds a waste-to-energy facility to process and recover energy from the remaining waste.

Staff say the combination of a mixed waste processing facility and a waste-to-energy facility would result in a 79 per cent diversion rate from the landfill, but that’s only two per cent higher than just building a waste-to-energy facility for Ottawa’s garbage.

With files from CTV News Ottawa’s Josh Marano and Shaun Vardon