Ottawa sells $530,000 worth of yellow bags for extra garbage in year one of 3-item limit

The City of Ottawa sells yellow bags for residents who need to exceed the three-item garbage limit. (City of Ottawa website)

The sales of yellow garbage bags for Ottawa households with more than three items of garbage every two weeks generated more than $500,000 in sales for the city last year.

The City of Ottawa introduced the three-item garbage limit for households in September 2024, with any item over the three-item limit required to be placed in a yellow bag.

The city sells the yellow bags in pouches of four for $17.60. You can purchase the yellow bags at Client Service Centres, select recreation facilities and community centres, and at Home Hardware and Richmond BMR locations.

In response to an inquiry from Coun. Tim Tierney, Public Works General Manager Alain Gonthier said 3,900 pouches were sold at recreation facilities in 2025, 2,160 pouches sold at Client Service Centres, and approximately 28,000 pouches have been sold to Home Hardware and the Richmond BMR locations.

Gonthier said the sale of yellow bags between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31,2025, generated $532,000 in sales. That includes $105,4440 in sales at Ottawa’s Client Service Centres and recreation complexes.

“This price is revenue neutral to cover the City’s costs and is approved annually through the City’s budget process,” Gonthier said.

Gonthier said there has been a “dramatic increase” in yellow bag sales since 2023, with the implementation of the three-item garbage limit. The yellow bag program was initially introduced for small businesses.

The yellow bags are available at Ottawa Client Service Centres and the following recreation facilities and community centres:

• Albion-Heatherington Recreation Centre (1560 Heatherington Road)
• Alexander Community Centre (960 Silver Street)
• Bob MacQuarrie Recreation Complex – Orleans (1490 Youville Drive)
• CardelRec Complex (Goulbourn) (1500 Shea Road)
• Carleton Heights Community Centre (1665 Apeldoorn Avenue)
• Francois Dupuis Recreation Centre (2263 Portobello Boulevard)
• Hunt Club-Riverside Park Community Centre (3320 Paul Anka Drive)
• Jack Purcell Community Centre (320 Jack Purcell Lane)
• Minto Recreation Complex – Barrhaven (3500 Cambrian Road)
• Nepean Seniors Centre (1701 Woodroffe Avenue)
• Nepean Sportsplex (1701 Woodroffe Avenue)
• Nepean Visual Arts Centre (1701 Woodroffe Avenue)
• Overbrook Community Centre (3 Quill Street)
• St-Laurent Complex (525 Cote Street)
• Walter Baker Sports Centre (100 Malvern Drive)