Starting Thursday, residents of Ottawa can now recycle coffee cups, which were previously not accepted. A number of adjustments to the city’s recycling program will begin on Jan. 1, as Ontario transitions to a new provincial recycling system. Some changes will be more behind-the-scenes, while others will have a direct impact on homeowners. Most importantly, the updated list of items that can be recycled in blue bins in Ottawa (and throughout all communities in the province) now includes coffee cups, deodorant containers, toothpaste tubes, ice cream tubs, black plastic containers, and frozen juice containers. This diagram provides an easy reference for what items Ottawa residents can now place into their blue and black bins: Here’s what else you should know about the recycling updates happening this week.
What else is changing
Apart from the expanded list of recyclables, the main change homeowners in Ottawa will notice is that a company called Miller Waste Services – not the City of Ottawa – will be collecting their blue and black bins for disposal. Miller Waste Services has been contracted by Circular Materials, which was chosen by the Ontario government to oversee the province’s recycling system. Residents may find that collection times by Miller Waste Services differ from what they were used to under City operations, according to warnings from city officials. Allen Langdon, CEO of Circular Materials, mentioned during CBC’s Ottawa Morning that if any issues arise, people should contact Miller Waste; if escalation is necessary, they can reach out to Circular Materials directly. You can find contact details for both organizations here. Ottawa Morning11:21The way you recycle in Ottawa is about to change Allen Langdon the CEO of Circular Materials explains how they are taking over the collection of blue and black boxes in Ottawa. One critic expresses doubt that moving services away from local control is beneficial. “When we create things locally, we run things locally. We have local accountability; we can make local innovation; we can make local improvements,” said Angela Keller-Herzog, executive director of Community Associations for Environmental Sustainability. “So I’m a skeptic whether this [new] program is going to serve us as well.” Circular Materials was established by 17 of Canada’s “leading food, beverage and consumer products manufacturers, restaurants and retailers,” including Coca-Cola Canada, McDonald’s and Loblaw Companies Limited according to information on their website. Please let us know how your first collection under this new system goes. You can reach out to Guy at [email protected] Every year those companies must report back to Circular Materials regarding how much packaging “they supply into the marketplace,” then pay fees based on those figures and types Langdon stated. “There’s now an incentive to reduce because if they reduce the packaging they’ll pay [fewer] fees and have [lower costs] for supporting the blue box program,” Langdon noted.What isn’t changing
The City of Ottawa will keep picking up recyclables from public areas and municipal buildings. The city will also continue managing garbage and organic waste collection.If you’re living in schools or multi-residential buildings built after Jan. 1 that have six or more units you won’t be able to join the provincial recycling program until 2031.
You can keep using your current blue and black bins at home; if you need a replacement call Miller Waste-there won’t be any charge for a new bin.
a Please remember these bins should still be placed curbside by 7 a.m. on collection day.
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