Multi-Residential Waste Diversion Strategy

The City of Ottawa is developing a Multi-Residential Waste Diversion Strategy as a component projects of the broader Solid Waste Master Plan. The Strategy will provide recommendations on how to increase waste diversion in the multi-residential sector by reviewing, enhancing, and developing pilots, policies and initiatives designed to increase participation and engagement in programs offered by the City.

The City provides waste collection services to approximately 2,150 multi-residential properties. Waste audit studies show that 74% of all waste disposed of at multi-residential properties is thrown in the garbage, and 58% could be diverted through recycling and green bin programs.

Aiming to increase waste diversion supports both provincial direction and City initiatives:

• The Province’s Food and Organic Waste Policy Statement provides direction to multi-residential properties to increase waste reduction and resource recovery of food and organic waste. The Provincial target for multi-residential properties is 50% waste reduction and recovery of food and organic waste by 2025.
• The Province of Ontario is committed to phasing out food and organic waste from landfills by 2030.
• The City’s Energy Evolution project calls for 98% organics diversion from landfill and 100% diversion of paper products.

The project is recommending five pillars to support increasing waste diversion at multi-residential properties. Each pillar will include project recommendations to support the pillars:

• Expanding organics diversion to all multi-residential properties
• Enhancing promotion and education (P&E)
• Exploring pilots
• Dedicating and redesigning space for waste disposal programs
• Driving change moving forward through the collection contract

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