Some Ottawa households won’t have garbage collection this week as city implements new calendar

A City of Ottawa employee loads garbage and recycling into a waste collection truck in Ottawa. (CTV News Ottawa)

Thousands of Ottawa households will not have their garbage picked up this week, as the City of Ottawa shifts to a new garbage and recycling collection calendar.

The city begins a new collection contract on Monday, March 30. The pickup frequency will remain the same, with weekly collection for organic and yard waste and biweekly collection of garbage and blue bin material.

But as part of the changes, about half of Ottawa’s households will see a change in their waste collection day starting this week.

“Collection-day changes affect all your waste, including garbage, green bin, leaf and yard waste, and recycling,” the city said on its website.

“Although recycling is managed by Circular Materials on behalf of the province, the City and Circular Materials worked together to align collection days, including having the same holiday push days. The frequency of garbage, green bin, leaf and yard waste, and recycling collection is not changing.”

This is the first new curbside collection contract for the City of Ottawa since 2012.

Three weeks between garbage collection

Some Ottawa households will go three weeks between waste collection days as the city transitions to the new collection calendar.

For example, garbage collected at homes in Ottawa’s Sandy Hill neighbourhood the week of March 16 will not have their garbage collected until Friday, April 10 instead of this week. Residents in the Halfmoon Bay area north of Cambrian and homes in Stonebridge will go between the week of March 16 and April 10 for waste collection.

“The new contract balances collection days with the number of households and required service levels to ensure reliable and efficient waste collection for residents,” Andrea Gay Farley, program manager of waste collections, said in a statement on March 16.

“As part of this change, approximately 80,000 residential properties across the city will experience a one-time increase in the number of days between garbage collection during the transition to the new schedule. Regular biweekly garbage collection will resume at the following scheduled collection date. Green bin collection will continue on a weekly basis.”

Six item limit

The city will allow households to put out six garbage items on their scheduled garbage collection day over the next four weeks as part of the transition.

Households are currently permitted to put out three items for garbage collection every two weeks, with any items above the limit required to have a yellow bag.

Gay Farley says the city will allow residents to place up to six garbage items at the curb on their scheduled garbage collection day between March 30 and April 24, “without the need to purchase yellow bags.”

CTVNewsOttawa.ca looks at what you need to know about the change in garbage collection.

Why is my day changing?

The City of Ottawa is moving to a new curbside collection contract as of March 30, resulting in a change to the waste collection day for many residents.

What is changing?

The City of Ottawa says the change in the curbside collection contract may result in a change in the collection of all your waste.

If the day for garbage collection changes, it will change for all your waste, recycling and organic items.

When will green bin, recycling and leaf and yard waste collection occur?

The City of Ottawa says garbage, organic, leaf and yard waste, and recycling will continue to be picked up on the same day under the new collection contract.

The green bin will continue to be picked up weekly.

Good Friday/Easter Monday

The new collection contract begins just before Easter, meaning there will be a delay in collection over the two-week period.

“There will be no curbside collection on Good Friday, April 3, or Easter Monday, April 6,” the city said on its website.

“As a result, collection will be delayed by one day for the remainder of each week. The week of April 13 will be the first week without push days, allowing residents to confirm their regular collection day.”

How can I find out when my garbage and recycling will be picked up?

The City of Ottawa has sent a letter by Canada Post to residents outlining their waste collection day may be changing.

You can find out your garbage, recycling and green bin collection date on the city’s website.

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