April 2, 2026 Newsletter

As of Monday, March 30, the City's new waste collection contract came into effect, bringing with it new pickup days for approximately half of all Ottawa residents and implementing significant changes to its curbside waste collection program. Many households in our ward are among those affected, and I want to sincerely apologize for the disruption these changes are causing. The new schedule is the result of the complex coordination and synchronization required to overhaul a citywide service that has not undergone changes of this scale in more than 20 years, and I recognize that does not make the adjustment any easier for residents managing the day-to-day impact.

Under the new contract, garbage collection days are shifting for a large number of households across the city. In our area specifically, residents generally east of Crichton Street and Vanier Parkway, north of Montreal Road, and west of St. Laurent Boulevard, along with the portion of Manor Park east of St. Laurent, will now have their garbage collected on Wednesdays. Residents east of the Rideau River, south of Montreal Road, west of St. Laurent Boulevard, and north of Highway 417 will move to Friday collection. Those living east of St. Laurent Boulevard, south of Montreal Road, west of Blair Road, north of Highway 417, as well as residents of Brittany Drive and the surrounding neighbourhood, will have their garbage collected on Tuesdays. The frequency of collection is not changing. Garbage will continue to be picked up every two weeks, while green bin and yard waste collection will remain weekly.

The most immediate concern for many residents is a one-time extended gap in garbage collection that will occur as the City transitions between contracts. Across Ottawa, roughly 80,000 households will experience a longer than usual wait between pickups during this period. In some neighbourhoods that gap may stretch to as long as 26 days. This is because the final collection under the old contract and the first collection under the new contract do not fall close together for everyone. Households that previously had Monday collection, as an example, had their last pickup under the old contract on March 16, with the next scheduled collection not until April 11, which has itself been shifted to a Saturday due to the Easter Monday statutory holiday push day.

City staff are working to limit the impacts on households experiencing a gap longer than 17 days between collections through the implementation of a number of mitigation measures. Green bin collection is continuing on its regular weekly schedule, which will help significantly given that food and organic waste tends to be the primary source of odour and decay in household garbage. In addition, between March 30 and April 24, residents may place up to six items at the curb on their scheduled collection day without needing to purchase yellow bags, double the usual limit of three items, with no additional fees applying during this window.

To further support households in the neighbourhoods of New Edinburgh, Lindenlea, Rockcliffe Park, Manor Park, Castle Heights, Overbook, and the Borthwick-Cummings-Trojan-Forbes community that are experiencing a gap of 17 days or longer between pickups, the City is providing a one-time garbage drop-off opportunity on Saturday, April 4. The drop-off location serving Rideau-Rockcliffe Ward is the St. Laurent Complex at 525 Côté Street, operating from 8:30 to 11:30 am. Residents can bring a single bag of garbage weighing up to 15 kilograms. Bulky items and additional bags beyond the one permitted will not be accepted, and proof of address may be required.

It is important to note that while the City of Ottawa continues to manage garbage and green bin organics collection, recycling collection in Ottawa is now handled differently. Under Ontario's new Individual Producer Responsibility framework, recycling is managed by Circular Materials, a non-profit organization working on behalf of product producers. Under this provincial program, producers are responsible for managing recycling materials across Ontario, and the City is no longer responsible for this service. Garbage, green bin, and recycling collection days will nonetheless continue to be aligned, so residents will still have just one day per week to put all of their waste at the curb.

To ensure your waste is collected, please place all materials at the curb no earlier than 6 pm the evening before your collection day and no later than 7 am on the morning of collection.

For questions about recycling collection (plastic and cardboard), residents can contact Miller Waste at 1-888-852-2374 or email [email protected]. For questions about the recycling program itself and accepted materials, visit www.circularmaterials.ca/Ottawa or contact Circular Materials at 1-877-667-2626 or by email at [email protected]. 

All affected households were supposed to have received a letter in advance of the changes outlining the new schedule and what to expect during the transition. However, a number of households in Rideau-Rockcliffe Ward have reported not receiving it, and my office will be following up with City staff about this communication gap.

In the meantime, residents can check their updated collection schedule online, sign up for email or telephone reminders, and view their curbside waste collection calendar at ottawa.ca/CollectionCalendar. You can also download the Ottawa Collection Calendar mobile app for Apple or Android devices to confirm your collection day. It is worth noting that this year will be the last time the City mails out paper-based collection calendars, so residents are encouraged to take advantage of these digital tools going forward.

These changes represent a significant shift in routine for many in our community. Please take a moment to confirm your new collection day, plan accordingly during the transition period, and make the most of the temporary measures the City has put in place to ease the adjustment.

Rawlson King
City Councillor