Ottawa Votes on $500M+ Landfill Purchase: What Residents Need to Know About Waste Costs and the Garbage Crisis

What This Means for You

If you live in Ottawa, your city is about to make one of the biggest infrastructure decisions in decades: whether to spend hundreds of millions of dollars to buy a private landfill. This decision will affect your property taxes, garbage collection, and the environment for the next 30 years.

Here's what you need to know—and what you can do about it.

How This Affects Your Property Taxes:

The city hasn't disclosed the exact purchase price (it's part of a confidential bidding process), but estimates for new waste solutions range widely:

Potential cost scenarios:

New landfill development: $439 million to $761 million (according to city staff reports)
Waste-to-energy facility: $300 million to $450 million
Private landfill purchase: Undisclosed, but expected to be in the hundreds of millions

What this means for your tax bill:

For a home assessed at $500,000, a $500 million capital expenditure spread over 20-30 years could add approximately $50-$150 per year to your property taxes, depending on financing terms and federal/provincial cost-sharing.

However, doing nothing is also expensive. If the city's current Trail Road landfill fills up by 2034-2035 (current projection), Ottawa would need to pay market rates to dispose of garbage at private facilities—potentially costing even more in the long run.

What You Can Do to Reduce Waste (and Costs):

The less garbage Ottawa produces, the longer any landfill solution lasts. Every household that diverts waste helps extend capacity and reduce future costs.

High-impact waste reduction:

Compost organics – About 40% of household garbage is organic material that could go in the green bin instead. If you're not composting, this is the single biggest impact you can have.
Follow the 3-item limit – Ottawa's new curbside limit of 3 garbage items per collection could extend Trail Road's life by 6 years. Stick to it.
Recycle correctly – Contaminated recycling ends up in landfill. Check Ottawa's Waste Explorer tool if you're unsure about an item.
Reduce before recycling – The best waste is waste you never create. Consider:
- Buying products with less packaging
- Using reusable containers, bags, and bottles
- Repairing items instead of replacing them
- Donating usable items instead of trashing them

Waste reduction by the numbers:

Action	Annual Waste Diverted
Composting all food scraps	~200 kg per household
Following 3-item limit	Variable
Proper recycling	~150 kg per household
Using refillable water bottles	~30 kg per person

If You Live in the Affected Area (East Ottawa/Carlsbad Springs):

The proposed landfill site—the Capital Region Resource Recovery Centre (CRRRC)—is located on Boundary Road near Highway 417, in Osgoode Ward.

Community concerns include:

Increased truck traffic on local roads
Potential environmental impacts (groundwater, air quality)
Property values
Already feeling like Ottawa's "back yard dumping ground"

How to make your voice heard:

Contact your city councillor – Find yours at ottawa.ca/councillors
Attend or watch council meetings – The full council vote is scheduled for the coming days. Meetings are streamed live at ottawa.ca/council
Submit written comments – Email the city clerk before the vote
Join community groups – Local organizations are organizing around this issue

Key councillors opposing the purchase:

Councillor Catherine Kitts (Orléans South-Navan)
Councillor David Brown (Rideau-Jock)
Councillor Matthew Luloff (Orléans East-Cumberland)
Councillor Isabelle Skalski (Osgoode Ward, where the site is located)

If You're Concerned About Environmental Impacts:

Modern landfills are heavily regulated, but concerns are legitimate. Here's what to understand:

The CRRRC already has provincial approval – This is Ontario's first new landfill approved in over 20 years. The approval process took years and included environmental assessments. The site is permitted to accept up to 450,000 tonnes of waste per year.

Public vs. private operation: Proponents argue city ownership would provide:

More public oversight and accountability
Better environmental monitoring
Greater control over what's accepted
Long-term cost stability

Opponents argue:

Money should go to modern alternatives (waste-to-energy)
Landfills are "outdated" technology
The cost is too high
The community hasn't been adequately consulted

Understanding the Alternatives:

Option 1: Buy the CRRRC (current proposal)

Pros: 30 years of capacity, rare opportunity, public control
Cons: High cost, community opposition, continued reliance on landfilling

Option 2: Expand Trail Road

Pros: Already city-owned, known costs
Cons: Would add ~15 years capacity (requires provincial approval), doesn't solve long-term problem

Option 3: Waste-to-energy (incineration)

Pros: Reduces volume by 90%, generates electricity
Cons: $300-$450 million, 15 years to establish, emissions concerns
Councillor Matthew Luloff has advocated for this approach

Option 4: Status quo

Pros: No immediate capital outlay
Cons: Trail Road fills by 2034-2035, then Ottawa pays market rates at private facilities

Timeline and What Happens Next:

November 2025: Committee vote passed (only 3 votes against)
Late November 2025: Full council vote expected
If approved: City proceeds with competitive bid for CRRRC
2034-2035: Trail Road landfill reaches capacity (current projection)

The News: What Happened

Ottawa city council is moving forward with a bid to purchase the Capital Region Resource Recovery Centre (CRRRC), a 475-acre privately-owned landfill in the city's east end. According to CBC News, a city committee passed the motion on November 21, 2025, with only three votes against: Councillors Catherine Kitts, David Brown, and Matthew Luloff.

Mayor Mark Sutcliffe defended the decision: "It will either be owned by a private company, another municipality, or it will be owned by the City of Ottawa." Councillor Glen Gower added that "a publicly operated landfill gives us so much more control, so much more accountability."

The site, owned by Taggart Miller Environmental Services, is Ontario's first and only new landfill approved in more than 20 years. According to city staff, acquiring it represents a "rare, strategic opportunity" since new landfill proposals typically take up to 15 years to obtain provincial approval.

Community opposition has been strong, particularly in Carlsbad Springs and surrounding areas. Blackburn Hamlet resident Aidan McCannell told the committee: "Nobody wants a landfill here. Not public, not private." Councillor Isabelle Skalski, whose Osgoode ward contains the site, warned that residents are "tired of being the back yard dumping ground storage shed for the City of Ottawa."

The exact purchase price remains confidential as part of the competitive bidding process, but Councillor Luloff noted: "It's been reported that this will cost an extraordinary amount of money." He has advocated for waste-to-energy incineration as a more modern alternative.

Analysis: Why This Matters

Ontario's Looming Waste Crisis

This isn't just an Ottawa issue. According to city staff reports, Ontario's remaining landfill capacity is projected to run out in less than a decade. The province hasn't approved a new landfill in over 20 years, making existing sites increasingly valuable.

Ottawa's current Trail Road landfill is projected to reach capacity between 2034 and 2035 under current waste disposal patterns. Recent policy changes—including the new three-item garbage limit—could extend that by about six years, but the fundamental problem remains: Ontario is running out of places to put garbage.

The Real Cost of Doing Nothing

While the upfront cost of purchasing the CRRRC is substantial, the alternative has costs too:

Market-rate disposal: Once Trail Road fills, Ottawa would pay whatever private landfill operators charge
Loss of control: Private operators set prices and policies
Transportation costs: Waste may need to travel farther, increasing costs and emissions
Future scarcity: As Ontario's capacity dwindles, prices will likely rise

City officials argue that securing long-term capacity now, while options exist, is more prudent than waiting until the city has no negotiating leverage.

The Bigger Picture: Waste in a Circular Economy

Regardless of what happens with this vote, the long-term solution is generating less waste. Ottawa's 2024 Solid Waste Master Plan emphasizes waste reduction and diversion as primary goals.

The city's new three-item garbage limit is part of this strategy—encouraging residents to compost more, recycle correctly, and reduce consumption. If successful, these measures could significantly extend any landfill's lifespan.

Some argue that investing hundreds of millions in landfill capacity reduces the urgency to transition to better alternatives. Others counter that the city needs practical solutions while longer-term technologies are developed.

Your Action Plan

Immediate (Before the Vote):

Contact your city councillor with your views
Watch or attend the council meeting
Sign up for updates on Ottawa's Solid Waste Master Plan

Short-term (This Month):

Audit your household waste—how much could be composted or recycled?
Set up a green bin system if you haven't
Review Ottawa's Waste Explorer for recycling guidance

Long-term (Ongoing):

Reduce waste at the source (less packaging, reusable items)
Stay engaged with city waste policy decisions
Support local repair, reuse, and donation organizations

Other Perspectives

Mayor Mark Sutcliffe (Supporting Purchase):

"It will either be owned by a private company, another municipality, or it will be owned by the City of Ottawa." The mayor argues public ownership is preferable to leaving such critical infrastructure in private hands.

Councillor Glen Gower (Supporting):

Emphasized that "a publicly operated landfill gives us so much more control, so much more accountability" compared to relying on private waste management.

Councillor Matthew Luloff (Opposing):

"It's been reported that this will cost an extraordinary amount of money. That money should be going towards modernizing our waste system, not doubling down on an outdated approach." He advocates for waste-to-energy incineration as a more forward-looking solution.

Councillor Isabelle Skalski (Opposing):

Warned against ignoring east-end residents: "They're tired of being the back yard dumping ground storage shed for the City of Ottawa." Her Osgoode ward contains the proposed site.

Local Residents (Opposed):

Blackburn Hamlet resident Aidan McCannell: "Nobody wants a landfill here. Not public, not private." Concerns include truck traffic, environmental impacts, and property values.

City Staff:

Characterized the purchase as a "rare, strategic opportunity" given that new landfill approvals take up to 15 years and Ontario's capacity is running out. Staff note the site could provide up to 30 years of capacity.

Corrections Policy

We strive for accuracy. If you find an error in this analysis, please contact us through our contact form. We will promptly investigate and correct any factual inaccuracies.

Updates:

No corrections to date (as of November 27, 2025)

Ottawa City Services Guide: Information on municipal services and how to access them
Ottawa Waste Explorer: Official tool for recycling and waste disposal guidance
Engage Ottawa - Solid Waste Master Plan: Have your say on Ottawa's waste future

Sources

CBC News coverage of Ottawa landfill vote, November 2025
Global News reporting on Ontario landfill shortage
CTV Ottawa coverage of committee vote
City of Ottawa Solid Waste Master Plan documentation
Capital Current local reporting on community opposition