Q&As regarding garbage and leaf and yard set out

On April 9, the City put out messaging around the spring cleanup here: https://ottawa.ca/en/news/spring-cleaning-during-covid-19 that I had in my newsletter. In response, there have been multiple resident inquiries, so staff at the City have put together the following Q&A.

Q: Why are we asking residents to hold on to large items of garbage?

A: Since physical distancing has been recommended by the Public Health Agency of Canada and Ottawa Public Health, residents are staying home and undertaking spring cleaning that result in extra waste being set out at the curb.  Heavy, bulky items at the curb are a challenge for collectors and require extra time to manage safely. To allow the collection operators to focus on regular household waste during this time, this will help the staff to do their job efficiently and maximize their physical distancing.

Q: If I place large items at the curb will it still be collected?

A: Yes, the items will still be collected. This is not a directive, it’s a request to be kind and considerate during these times and to help your collection operator to complete their routes in a timely manner.  Heavy, bulky items at the curb are a challenge for collectors and require extra time to manage safely. 

Q: We are asked to hang on to our large items and we have no space to store them, where can I dispose of the items when the landfill site is closed?

A: The Trail Road Waste Facility is currently closed to the public. We are currently installing new infrastructure at our scale house which may allow us to open the landfill site to the public. However, at this time we are keeping the landfill site closed to protect staff and the public during the pandemic. We encourage residents to visit https://ottawa.ca/en/garbage-and-recycling/garbage for any updates.

Q: Are there private landfills that are open to the public?

A: Visit https://ottawa.ca/en/garbage-and-recycling/garbage for a list of private landfills. We encourage residents to call ahead to confirm they are still open.

Q: Why are we taking these measures?

A: These measures are taken to ensure we protect our staff and the public during the pandemic and to continue to provide the essential waste collection service.

Q: If I was to set out more that 2-3 bags of leaf and yard waste, will it be collected?

A: Yes, as mentioned earlier, this is a request not a directive. By equally staggering the set out of your leaf and yard waste material to not more than 2-3 bags per week, this will allow your waste collection operators to complete their job efficiently, maximize their physical distancing and continue to provide this essential service to residents.