Ottawa has a composting problem — not because the green bin program isn't working, but because it could be working so much better.
As the city explores its options for the future of composting infrastructure, a growing chorus of voices is urging Ottawa to think beyond the status quo. Right now, Ottawa diverts a fraction of the organic waste it could be capturing. Food scraps, yard waste, and other compostable materials still make up a significant chunk of what ends up in landfills — and that's a missed opportunity on multiple fronts.
What's at Stake
Composting isn't just an environmental feel-good exercise. Organic waste in landfills decomposes anaerobically, releasing methane — a greenhouse gas far more potent than CO2 in the short term. Every tonne of organics diverted from landfill is a meaningful climate win. Ottawa has committed to ambitious sustainability targets, and the green bin program is one of the most direct levers the city has to deliver on those promises.
But the current system has real limits. Participation rates vary significantly across the city. Apartment and condo residents — a growing share of Ottawa's population as the housing market pushes density — often have limited or no access to green bin collection. And the existing composting facility has capacity constraints that will only become more pressing as the city grows.
The Case for Going Bigger
Opinion columnist Brigitte Pellerin argues in the Ottawa Citizen that the city's current review of composting options is exactly the right moment to be ambitious. Rather than simply replacing aging infrastructure like-for-like, Ottawa should be asking: what does a best-in-class municipal composting system actually look like?
Other Canadian cities have shown what's possible. Toronto has invested heavily in organics processing. Vancouver has pushed multi-family composting participation to impressive levels. Ottawa doesn't need to reinvent the wheel — it can learn from what's worked elsewhere and adapt it for its own context.
Key priorities should include expanding green bin access to high-rise buildings, investing in public education to reduce contamination (a persistent headache that degrades compost quality), and exploring whether anaerobic digestion — which can capture biogas as an energy source — makes sense as part of the city's future composting mix.
A Window That Won't Stay Open Forever
Major infrastructure decisions come along infrequently. When Ottawa makes its next move on composting, whatever gets built or contracted will shape the city's waste diversion capacity for decades. Getting this right matters.
Residents who dutifully sort their green bins every week deserve to know their effort is going toward a system that's genuinely maximizing impact — not just maintaining a baseline. And those who don't yet have access deserve the same opportunity to participate.
The city's waste diversion ambitions should match the scale of the climate challenge. Now is the time to make it happen.
Source: Ottawa Citizen Opinion, Brigitte Pellerin
