Ottawa is the capital of Canada; with its historical sites, beautiful locations, and lush parks, it is one of the most famous cities for high-quality living. The cleanliness and beauty of this city are the result of the collective efforts of all its residents, and waste management plays a central role in maintaining the city’s cleanliness and beauty.
New immigrants and Afghans who come to the beautiful city of Ottawa to live a good life must familiarize themselves not only with the environment and environmental culture but also with the waste management system.
In this program, we will teach you how to sort waste in the beautiful city of Ottawa.
This video guide has been specifically prepared for newly arrived Afghan immigrants, and it clearly and simply explains the basic principles of waste management in Ottawa.
This video will guide you on why the garbage bins are colored black, green, and blue and the importance of sorting them. Additionally, you will learn how to use the waste collection calendar app in Ottawa, which is a useful app to track the waste collection schedule in this city.
How important is waste management and sorting in the city of Ottawa?
We spoke with one of the environmental experts, Abdul Hadi Achakzai, about this.
Environmental Expert:
When waste is not properly managed in a country, region, or anywhere in the world, it can have a significant impact on the quality, quantity, and properties of the soil.
In this context, we can say that waste, especially plastics or bottles, can remain in the soil for up to five thousand years without breaking down.
When waste is not managed in a country, plastic or bottles left in the soil prevent trees from growing well, and greenery and flowers cannot flourish.
Cleanliness is a fundamental and important matter in Islam, which is mentioned multiple times in the Holy Qur’an and the Hadiths of the Prophet.
In this regard, one of the religious scholars, Abdul Wakil Lawang Zazai, a servant of the Umar Community Mosque, says:
Religious Scholars’ Views on Keeping the City Clean:
Currently, we live in Canada. Here, no one cares so much about your name or which country you’re from. What matters is that you are seen as a Muslim.
Therefore, as a Muslim, it is our religious and moral duty to follow the law. We must act according to the law.
The municipality provides us with guidance, and based on that guidance, we must behave in a way that keeps the environment clean.
Waste should be taken to its proper place, not just thrown into one mixed heap, because that is not the correct way to do it.
The basic principles of waste management in Ottawa:
In Ottawa, recyclable waste is sorted based on the type of material. For this purpose, three bins of different colors are used, each designated for a specific type of waste.
Waste is collected in plastic bins that are black, green, and blue, according to a specific division from in front of houses. Knowing what goes into each bin is essential for the proper management of recycling or the disposal of non-recyclable items for the residents of Ottawa.
Black Bin:
In the city of Ottawa, the black bin is designated for collecting recyclable materials such as various types of paper and cardboard. This bin is specifically for items that are recyclable, and by sorting these items from others, it helps the recycling process. To make the most of this system, it is important to ensure that paper and cardboard items are completely clean and free from contamination, so they can be easily recycled and returned to the production cycle.
Some items that should be placed in the black bin include:
- Newspaper and flyers
- Magazines and catalogues
- Shoe boxes
- Paper egg cartons, toilet paper rolls and paper towel rolls
- Clean pizza boxes
Blue bin:
In the city of Ottawa, the blue bin is designated for collecting recyclable materials such as plastic, metal, and glass. To make the most of this bin, recyclable items should be properly placed and meet the necessary conditions. Remember that bottles and glass items placed in this bin should be completely empty to ensure they are properly recycled.
Some items that should be placed in the blue bin include:
- Empty bottles and jars
- Empty Metal cans
- Empty Soft drink cans
- Empty paint cans with lids removed
- Empty aerosol cans (hairspray, paint, whipping cream)
- Take-out containers
- Flower pots
Green bin:
In Ottawa, the green bin is designed for collecting food waste and compostable materials. This bin is specifically for items that are easily biodegradable, such as food scraps and plant waste.
Placing these materials in the green bin aids the waste management process because they can easily be converted into compost, which helps improve soil and promotes plant growth. The compost produced from these materials is used as a natural fertilizer in gardens and agricultural fields, which not only reduces waste in landfills but also helps preserve the environment and enhance soil quality.
Some items that should be placed in the green bin include:
- Meat, bones, egg shells, mouldy food
- Vacuum bags, and vacuum contents
- Household plants including soil
- Paper coffee cups
- Soiled paper towels, napkins and tissues
- Soiled paper, boxboard
- Food-soiled pizza boxes
To properly maintain the green bin, make sure to wash it regularly. To prevent animals and insects from entering, keep it in a safe place until the collection day.
Lawn Mowing:
To properly maintain the lawn in front of your house, mow it on time.
Branches from trees, leaves, plants, and weeds can be placed in the green bin. If there isn’t enough space in the green bin, you can place them in separate bags.
Remember to use compostable paper bags that are clearly marked for yard waste. The branches should be bundled with a length of less than 120 cm and a width of less than 60 cm, with each branch’s diameter being less than 10 cm. The maximum weight of each bundle or bag should not exceed 15 kg. These bags will be collected on specific days in front of your house.
Please be aware that, starting March 30, 2026,
Yard and leaf waste should no longer be placed in the green bin. Instead, it must be placed in special paper bags that are clearly labeled for these items.
For the most up-to-date information on waste management in Ottawa, visit the City of Ottawa’s website at www.ottawa.ca.
Additionally, to learn how to properly dispose of different types of waste, refer to the Waste Explorer page on the City of Ottawa’s website.
(https://ottawa.ca/en/garbage-and-recycling/waste-explorer)
The city of Ottawa is working on better waste management due to the rapid filling of landfills. More than half of the waste currently sent to landfills should be placed in green, blue, or black bins to be recycled.
Starting from September 30, 2024, the city of Ottawa has reduced waste collection limits to three items per collection day. This measure helps reduce unnecessary waste going to landfills. This means that on waste collection day, each household can place up to three items or bags of waste alongside their black, blue, and green bins at the curb. These three items can include a 140-liter trash bag or bulky items like household goods or furniture.
Excess waste beyond these three items must be placed in yellow bags, and otherwise, it will not be collected.
Opinions of Ordinary Afghan Abul Qayum Ahmadzai Living in Ottawa:
In Canada, municipalities always have programs for recycling, sorting, or separating waste in different areas of the city. This is done to prevent landfills from quickly reaching full capacity, as waste accumulates there, and if landfills get filled up, it can become a problem.
Another point is that organic waste, which is natural, is processed and reused. For example, organic waste like food scraps or other food-related waste is sent for processing. It can even be turned into compost, fertilizer, or sometimes used to generate electricity.
Waste Collection Schedule
In the city of Ottawa, knowing the waste collection schedule is essential. One effective and easy way to keep track is by using the “Ottawa Collection Calendar” app.
Most people place their black, blue, and green bins in front of their houses every week, but municipal workers only collect waste from the bins that are scheduled for that day. Waste from bins scheduled for other days will remain in front of houses, leading to street pollution due to wind and rain.
To get the app, simply go to the Play Store or Google Play and search for the “Ottawa Collection Calendar.”
Download and install the app.
Then, open the app and enter your home address to receive the waste collection schedule.
To place your waste, put it out from 6 PM the day before collection until no later than 7 AM on the collection day, but do not place it on the sidewalk, road, or on piled snow.
The municipal waste collection truck will come to your street at the scheduled time to pick up the waste. Try not to park your car in front of the bins so that the area is clear for the municipal trucks during waste collection.
Municipal workers will quickly load the items from the bins into the truck, and if you drive into the street at that time, you may cause damage to them. Try to prioritize the waste collection truck so that it can efficiently carry out its task of keeping the city clean on time.
Efforts of civil institutions in waste management awareness:
Afghans who have previously arrived in the city help newly arrived Afghans receive awareness about waste management in their own language. They provide information through sessions and share knowledge with newly arrived Afghans on this matter.
How important is keeping the environment clean and waste management in the city of Ottawa?
We discussed this with Dr. Syed Mohammad Ahmadi, the head of the Canada-Afghanistan Foundation (CAF).
The Canada Afghanistan Foundation is an organization established by Afghans in Ottawa to serve Afghans and other immigrants. Alongside other programs we offer, one important program we have is environmental awareness. Specifically in the city of Ottawa, waste collection and recycling is one of the programs we have always thought about, and we have collaborated on providing awareness to Afghans in this regard.
Keeping the environment clean is the responsibility and duty of every individual in the community. If we want to have a clean and healthy life, we must pay attention to our environment. Ottawa is a clean and beautiful city, and if we want to keep our city clean, we must work together.
A healthy life is in a healthy environment.
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