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Council has approved plastic bags and dog feces for the green bin program starting in mid-2019.
The 19-3 vote on Wednesday approves a revision to the city’s contract with Orgaworld to modestly expand the list of items allowed in the green bin. Councillors Tobi Nussbaum, Jeff Leiper and Catherine McKenney voted no.
The changes would cost the city an extra $626,000 annually. The average household will pay 15 cents more each month. The “put or pay” volume under the contract will be reduced from 80,000 tonnes annually to 75,000 tonnes. The city has never sent 80,000 tonnes of organic waste to Orgaworld.
Mayor Jim Watson said the new deal improves the “worst-signed agreements in the city’s history.”
The changes would allow any plastic bag to be tossed into the green bin. The city believes allowing families to store their organic waste in plastic bags will increase participation in the green bin program, which is currently around 51 per cent. At the Orgaworld plant, the plastic will be stripped out of the organic waste stream and sent to the dump.
City research suggests people are grossed out using the green bin because of the “yuck factor, insects, smells, maggots, you can go on and on,” Kevin Wylie, public works and environment general manager, told council.
Capital Coun. David Chernushenko said the revised contract is better value for taxpayers and provides better convenience. He has a message to people who have rejected using their green bins: “You’re out of excuses.”
Council opponents are skeptical about allowing plastic bags in the green bin and what kind of difference it will make to divert organic waste from the dump.
But most councillors like the changes.
“The green bin program will work if you make it simple,” Orléans Coun. Bob Monette said in support of including plastic bags and dog waste.
Orgaworld is upgrading its plant to beef up the odour-mitigation measures. The city doesn’t expect any new, ugly smells coming from the facility.
“We’re not expecting odour issues with this plant,” according to Marilyn Journeaux, the city’s director of solid waste services.
The city and Orgaworld opened the 20-year contract after the city’s auditor general discovered municipal taxpayers were overpaying to divert organic waste from the Trail Road dump. The city was paying for organic waste it wasn’t able to provide Orgaworld. The city decided against cancelling the contract, seeing too many ambiguities in the deal when it came to termination costs.
There’s pressure on the city to recycle more, especially since the province is creating tighter rules about what can be put into the landfill. The city’s dump on Trail Road is expected to close in 2043 and it wants to extend the landfill’s life for as long as possible. It costs about $250 million to establish a new dump and locating a new dump in the City of Ottawa would be incredibly controversial.
The new agreement between the city and Orgaworld ends all outstanding disputes between the two organizations. They have been at odds over the inclusion of leaf and yard waste in the green bin and the capacity of the Orgaworld plant.
There’s a lag between Wednesday’s council vote and the start of expanded green bin program to allow Orgaworld time to upgrade the facility. The city is also planning an education campaign.
Since dog waste will be allowed in the green bin, the city is planning a pilot program for summer 2019 to include green bins in 10 parks. The city estimates 4,000 tonnes of pet waste goes into the dump each year from all homes, based on a 2014 trash audit of 100 homes. There are about 40,000 dogs licensed by the municipality.
The next challenge for the city is deciding how it will convince even more people to recycle. A staff report in 2019 for the next term of council is expected to have recommendations before the city re-tenders its garbage collection contracts.
jwilling@postmedia.com
twitter.com/JonathanWilling
查看原文...
The 19-3 vote on Wednesday approves a revision to the city’s contract with Orgaworld to modestly expand the list of items allowed in the green bin. Councillors Tobi Nussbaum, Jeff Leiper and Catherine McKenney voted no.
The changes would cost the city an extra $626,000 annually. The average household will pay 15 cents more each month. The “put or pay” volume under the contract will be reduced from 80,000 tonnes annually to 75,000 tonnes. The city has never sent 80,000 tonnes of organic waste to Orgaworld.
Mayor Jim Watson said the new deal improves the “worst-signed agreements in the city’s history.”
The changes would allow any plastic bag to be tossed into the green bin. The city believes allowing families to store their organic waste in plastic bags will increase participation in the green bin program, which is currently around 51 per cent. At the Orgaworld plant, the plastic will be stripped out of the organic waste stream and sent to the dump.
City research suggests people are grossed out using the green bin because of the “yuck factor, insects, smells, maggots, you can go on and on,” Kevin Wylie, public works and environment general manager, told council.
Capital Coun. David Chernushenko said the revised contract is better value for taxpayers and provides better convenience. He has a message to people who have rejected using their green bins: “You’re out of excuses.”
Council opponents are skeptical about allowing plastic bags in the green bin and what kind of difference it will make to divert organic waste from the dump.
But most councillors like the changes.
“The green bin program will work if you make it simple,” Orléans Coun. Bob Monette said in support of including plastic bags and dog waste.
Orgaworld is upgrading its plant to beef up the odour-mitigation measures. The city doesn’t expect any new, ugly smells coming from the facility.
“We’re not expecting odour issues with this plant,” according to Marilyn Journeaux, the city’s director of solid waste services.
The city and Orgaworld opened the 20-year contract after the city’s auditor general discovered municipal taxpayers were overpaying to divert organic waste from the Trail Road dump. The city was paying for organic waste it wasn’t able to provide Orgaworld. The city decided against cancelling the contract, seeing too many ambiguities in the deal when it came to termination costs.
There’s pressure on the city to recycle more, especially since the province is creating tighter rules about what can be put into the landfill. The city’s dump on Trail Road is expected to close in 2043 and it wants to extend the landfill’s life for as long as possible. It costs about $250 million to establish a new dump and locating a new dump in the City of Ottawa would be incredibly controversial.
The new agreement between the city and Orgaworld ends all outstanding disputes between the two organizations. They have been at odds over the inclusion of leaf and yard waste in the green bin and the capacity of the Orgaworld plant.
There’s a lag between Wednesday’s council vote and the start of expanded green bin program to allow Orgaworld time to upgrade the facility. The city is also planning an education campaign.
Since dog waste will be allowed in the green bin, the city is planning a pilot program for summer 2019 to include green bins in 10 parks. The city estimates 4,000 tonnes of pet waste goes into the dump each year from all homes, based on a 2014 trash audit of 100 homes. There are about 40,000 dogs licensed by the municipality.
The next challenge for the city is deciding how it will convince even more people to recycle. A staff report in 2019 for the next term of council is expected to have recommendations before the city re-tenders its garbage collection contracts.
jwilling@postmedia.com
twitter.com/JonathanWilling
查看原文...
