Tens of thousands of Ottawa households will have a new garbage day starting next week. The City of Ottawa is moving to a new curbside collection contract starting March 30, and the garbage collection day may change for about half of Ottawa’s households. 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. Three-item garbage limit exemption The City of Ottawa is lifting the three-item garbage limit during the transition to the new garbage collection contract. Between March 30 and April 24, residents may place up to six items at the curb on their scheduled garbage collection day, without the need to purchase yellow bags. Why am I waiting three weeks for garbage collection? Approximately 80,000 households will have to wait three weeks for garbage collection as the city shifts to the new waste collection calendar. “As part of the City’s first new curbside collection contract since 2012, updates are being made to reflect current service needs and growth across the city,” Andrea Gay Farley, program manager of waste collections, said in a statement to CTV News Ottawa. “The new contract balances collection days with the number of households and required service levels to ensure reliable and efficient waste collection for residents.” Gay Farley says a letter has been sent to all households to provide details about the new schedule. 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.
