Weekly newsletter: September 26, 2023

Good morning and welcome to the first full week of autumn! The weather is cooling down and it is pumpkin spice season (I don’t like pumpkin, though).

Clarification to yard waste changes

Residents may have seen a news report last week about proposed changes to yard waste collection. The story just states the City will "cease taking leaf and yard waste in the green bin" with no further information.

While technically true, this is an oversimplification.

Yard waste will continue to be collected weekly, but should be placed at the curb separate from organic materials. Yard waste can also still be placed curbside in green bins, but should be in a separate container from organic materials (or in paper bags already used by many households).

The change takes effect March 2026 and does not impact the three-item limit as that applies to garbage.

Currently, yard waste is already collected separately from organic materials April to November as most households already separate them due to the volume of yard waste generated during those months. The separated yard waste is sent to an outdoor composting pad at the Trail Road Landfill. Since yard waste is not hazardous to human health as it decomposes, it does not require a special processing facility.

Organic material is processed in a facility specially designed to contain and break down harmful pathogens using heat and bacteria. Currently, during the winter months, yard waste is simply combined with organics and sent to the processing facility.

By changing to year-round separation of yard waste and organics, the costs to process the materials decreases by 64 per cent, as yard waste that doesn't require any special processing will just go to the composting pad at the landfill. This also means that pad will now be used year-round.

Both composted yard waste and processed organic material becomes "non-agricultural source material" used by farms in rural Ottawa to help with soil productivity.

Autumn tree planting

Urban forestry crews will begin the City’s autumn tree planting cycle September 28th until mid-November. Crews will be planting trees in two parks, street trees, as well as trees-in-trust ordered by residents.

Residents receiving trees-in-trust will receive a notice and have utility locates completed on their behalf prior to planting. Please do not remove the flags until the planting is complete.

In total, 59 new trees will be planted in Ward 24 this cycle — 22 in parks (21 of them at Leather Leaf Park), five for streetscaping, and 32 trees-in-trust ordered by residents for their front or side yards.

Trees-in-trust is a program offered by the City for residents interested in shepherding a tree in their front or side yard, including pledging to assist with proper tree care for the first three years of its life. Crews planting the trees will include instructions.

Residents interested in trees-in-trust may check their eligibility and apply at Ottawa.ca.

Along with staff, several locations in Barrhaven East have been identified for improvements to the tree canopy, including along our major roadways, in parks, and in open spaces. Not only are they good for the environment and carbon sequestration, but they make the community look a lot nicer too (when they’re properly maintained).

Cleanup and improvement efforts at Highbury Woods (including clearing dead trees on the ground and planting new ones) are also queued for next year to enhance a valuable community asset.

Until next time,

-Wilson