The City of Ottawa developed a strategic Integrated Waste Management plan in 2003 with updates in 2004 and 2005. The efforts in this plan were directed to increasing diversion of waste from the landfills to 40% in 2004 and 60% in 2006. Increasing diversion rates will lessen the City's reliance on landfills.

Unfortunately, yearly budget-cutting by council has postponed the implementation of several diversion activities and, as of YE 2005, the city's diversion rate was still only at 33%. 40% is now not expected until 2007 with 60% not likely being achieved until at least 2009 or 2010. The City's waste management plans NEVER examined IC&I waste (70% of all waste) and NEVER monitored or analyzed the long-term effects of the two private landfills in the City.

September, 2006 Update: In the Spring of 2006 the City launched a "Rethink Garbage" campaign to raise the residential diversion rate from 33% in 2005 to 40% in 2006. The original IWMMP set a goal of 40% in 2004 and 60% in 2006 but this was reset in 2004/2005 to be 40% in 2006 and 60% in 2008.

See this presentation from the City of Ottawa that was used MANY times in 2006 discussions with the public and council to lay out the City Staff's plans for 40% diversion in 2006 and 60% in 2008: Hewitt Presentation March 2006

This presentation from Mr.Hewitt had several errors in the amount of waste that each of the landfills accepted in 2005 (Navan was listed as 37% of landfilled waste, or 290K tonnes in 2005, but the Navan annual report only says they accepted 176K tonnes (from Ottawa and Non-Ottawa.) The main purpose of this presentation was to show that Ottawa continues to need more landfill space.

IIn September, 2006, the City's website quietly starting showing that the "Rethink Garbage" campaign would help Ottawa get to 60% by 2007! There had been no discussion about this slip in any City Council or Committee meeting.

IIt is NOT surprising to us at OLW that the 40% target has slipped, but it continues to concern us that the City touts itself as a model of sustainability and environmental leadership yet doesn't haven't a sustainable waste management plan and they don't even follow the VERY LIMITED IWMMP that they have! The Rethink Garbage campaign to increase diversion from 33% to 40% wasn't even launched until June, 2006! Plasco started construction of their trial gasification plant in September 2006 but the City staff don't have any confidence that it will ever work and haven't even considered a waste management plan that offloads ANY waste from landfill to Plasco. With all the controversy about the Carp and Navan landfill expansions, the City also has NOT even considered the possibility that either or both of the landfills may not be granted expansion approval. At a committee meeting last week, Ken Brothers said "We do not have a plan 'B'".

How does Ottawa's Residential Diverstion Rate Compare?

From City of Ottawa "Rethink Garbage" campaign website, June 2006.

More importantly than a low 33% diversion rate, the chart only shows the residential side of waste diversion. Ottawa's IC&I (commercial) landfill diversion rate is only 17% (according to the City of Ottawa) which makes the overall diversion rate about 25% as IC&I makes up almost 70% of Ottawa's total garbage generated.

The City of Ottawa's own numbers show that in 2005, Ottawa generated 1,017,000 tonnes of waste and 780K tonnes ended up in landfill after 33% was diverted(Hewitt, March, 2006). Even though the overall diversion rate is so low, it is easy to see why there isn't a landfill panic in Ottawa like there is in other places. Ottawa uses five different landfills and, with current expansion plans at WSI's Navan and WM's Carp landfills, Ottawa will have access TO OVER 1.1Million tonnes of yearly landfill disposal capacity - which is more than the City can generate even without any diversion.. Ottawa is the only City in North America under 1million people that uses five local landfills and the effect of this is clear based on Ottawa City Council's voting record on diversion activities over the past 5 years.

With all this excess landfill capacity, why should anyone spend time considering alternatives? There are many social, environmental, and economic benefits of diverting waste from landfills. However, the most compelling reason for people living in Ottawa to want higher diversion is that there could be two fewer active landfills operating in the City. The Navan and Carp landfills are each within 10km of approximately 100,000 people. Ottawa's high water table, many creeks/rivers, and abundant wildlife, exacerbate the impacts of landfills on the environment.

It is OttawaLandfillWatch's contention that the City of Ottawa would be better off without Carp and Navan and we have shown a plan that shows how this can be accomplished (HERE). Allowing Carp and Navan landfills to expand simply perpetuates the dis-incentive for diversion and unneccessarily exposes Ottawa's residents to the impacts from landfills.