Environment and Climate Change Committee

WHEREAS staff are recommending changes to Ottawa’s Curbside Waste Diversion Policy; WHEREAS the changes to the policy aim to encourage residents to alter their disposal habits and encourage more sustainable waste management habits; WHEREAS the recommended policy would require some level of change for all residents; WHEREAS approximately 58 per cent of what residents are placing at the curb could be diverted through the City’s recycling or green bin programs; WHEREAS the purpose of this policy is to encourage residents to evaluate what they are setting out for garbage collection and increase use of the existing recycling and green bin programs. WHEREAS staff are recommending a "Partial Pay-As-You Throw" program with an annual allotment of garbage items with the option of additional tags to be purchased by residents. WHEREAS Committee and Council will be provided an Implementation Plan and Readiness Update by Q1 2024 (or four months prior to program implementation) to help with the changes to curbside waste; THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that with the Implementation Plan incorporate an education plan for residents that includes: Identifying barriers and challenges under our current system and target the communications plan to address these concerns and encourage positive participation in the new Curbside Waste Diversion program; Developing a response plan for illegal dumping, specifically around high rise buildings, low-income neighbourhoods and areas that are known for large garbag

WHEREAS Council is scheduled to receive the draft Solid Waste Master Plan by Q4 2023, prior to a final round of consultation; and WHEREAS the Curbside Waste Diversion Policy is just one of the elements of the proposed Solid Waste Master Plan in addition to other options such as Multi-Residential Waste Diversion, Food Waste Reduction Strategy, Expansion of the Take It Back! Program, Textile Waste Diversion, Separate Bulky Waste Collection and Recycling, Automated Cart System, Waste to Energy, Anaerobic Digestion, etc; and WHEREAS the Curbside Waste Diversion Policy recommendation before Council is a “Partial Pay-As-You-Throw" program that would require residents to tag every garbage item set out at the curb, and some residents have expressed concerns with the administrative burden of this recommendation; and WHEREAS in 2007, the City’s garbage item limit was set to six items every two weeks and that limit was not changed with the introduction of the Green Bin program in 2010, the switch to bi-weekly collection in 2012 or the modifications to the Green Bin program in 2019; and WHEREAS the current solid waste fee for residents of Ottawa is $130 annually and would be expected to rise considerably with a status quo approach to curbside collection alone; and WHEREAS the City’s current average curbside garbage set-out is 2.1 items every two weeks and Council recognizes it is industry best practice to set a garbage limit at or below the average set-out to increase the waste diversion

BE IT RESOLVED that the Brown Motion to amend the Proposed Curbside Waste Diversion Policy be amended to replace “four (4)” items with “three (3)” items in the 2nd, 7th and 8th resolutions. For (2) T. Kavanagh, and R. Brockington Against (8) M. Luloff, T. Tierney, R. King, S. Menard, D. Hill, S. Devine, M. Carr, and D. Brown

(for Councillor S. Desroches) WHEREAS the City of Ottawa’s Office of the Auditor General (OAG) reviewed the Procurement Practices Related to the Source Separated Organics Contract in 2011 and presented to Audit Committee and Council in 2014; and WHEREAS the OAG provided a follow-up to the 2011 Audit of Procurement Practices Related to the Source Separated Organics Contract,

That the following motion be added to the agenda for the Environment and Climate Change Committee meeting of June 5, 2023, pursuant to Subsection 89(3) of the Rules of Procedure, so that an expression of interest process can be completed prior to City Council’s June 14, 2023, Council meeting. WHEREAS on July 10, 2019, Council considered the staff report titled, “Solid Waste Master Plan Roadmap” and approved the establishment of a Council Sponsors Group to work with staff on the development of the Solid Waste Master Plan through each phase, as described in the report; and WHEREAS the Sponsors Group reviewed and provided input/feedback on the project plan and detailed timeline, on specific areas for inclusion in reports, on the draft consultation plan, on the draft vision statement, guiding principles, goals and targets prior to consultation, on the proposed options analysis prior to consultation, and on the draft and final recommended Plans; and WHEREAS the Public Works Department is recommending the re-establishment of the Sponsors Group for this term of Council, to work with staff on the next steps in the Solid Waste Master Plan including initiatives that support increasing waste diversion, reuse and recycling; and WHEREAS on December 7, 2022, Council directed the City Clerk to bring forward a report on matters relating to advisory bodies and staff has advised that they will incorporate any forthcoming guidance from the City Clerk and/or direction from Council into the opera

WHEREAS on July 10, 2019, Council considered the staff report titled, “Solid Waste Master Plan Roadmap” and approved the establishment of a Council Sponsors Group to work with staff on the development of the Solid Waste Master Plan through each phase; and WHEREAS staff have proposed that the Sponsors Group be re-established for the 2022-2026 Term of Council and should include the following composition: Chair, Environment and Climate Change Committee; Vice Chair, Environment and Climate Change Committee; Councillor(s) able to provide rural, urban and suburban representation; and A designate from the Mayor’s Office; WHEREAS the recommended structure does not provide for a representative mix of Councillors and provides disproportionate influence from un-elected participants; and WHEREAS Council may establish sub-committees to address specific policy matters within a Standing Committee’s mandate; and WHEREAS, unlike a Sub-Committee, the structure of a Sponsors Group does not support public oversight, transparency, and participation, including matters such as formal Rules of Procedure, meeting minutes, open meetings, and public delegations; THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Environment and Climate Change Committee recommend that City Council approve the establishment of a new Solid Waste Sub-committee instead of a Sponsor’s Group; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Sub-committee’s membership include the following: The Chair of the Environment and Climate Change Committee 6 Counci