Ecology Ottawa welcomes new community waste diversion funding, urges improvements

This is a reprint of an article published February 17, 2026 by Ecology Ottawa, an Ottawa-based organization that works to create a mobilized constituency of Ottawans who demand action and leadership on the environment. (see original post here). It is reprinted in the PEN with the permission of the organization. You can learn more about Ecology Ottawa—and sign up for their newsletter—at their website, here.

Ecology Ottawa delegated to City Council's Environment and Climate Change Committee meeting today to support a proposed new funding stream for community waste diversion initiatives and urge several improvements.

This new funding responds directly to advocacy by Ecology Ottawa dating back to 2024, when Council was reviewing the draft Solid Waste Master Plan. Over 250 people have signed the petition, and Committee members explicitly cited community input as influencing this proposal.

While the new funding stream is welcome, it also doesn't go far enough. Whereas our petition called for $1.5 million over three years, a multi-year window, and coverage for operational costs, the City’s proposal is for a $102,000 envelope for this year, and operational costs are ineligible. (And yes, we did reiterate this request during budget season last December.) That said, Committee Chair Councillor Menard issued a Direction to Staff calling for staff to explore making operational costs eligible and reduce the fund's administrative burden when they review the larger CEPGP program next year.

Please read our delegation below—or watch it here—to learn more. This proposal goes to Council for a final vote on Feb 25 (agenda available here, when published). Please contact your councillor to show your support for not only approving this funding stream, but for improving it. 

And also, if you're with a community group, please start thinking of waste diversion projects up to $10,500 to propose! City staff said they'd open applications soon after approval.

We were pleased to see staff’s proposal to create a new funding stream in CEPGP (Community Environmental Projects Grant Program) for community-led waste diversion projects.

This is something we asked for in 2024 at a meeting of this very committee, when you were considering the draft Solid Waste Master Plan. The SWMP’s first objective is to “Maximize the Reduction and Reuse of Waste.” And rightly so: waste diversion—specifically reduction and reuse—is the most important waste action we can take. It’s the cheapest and has the smallest environmental impact. Just think of the cost of landfilling, whether the collection of items and trucking them to the landfill, or the cost of expanding Trail Rd. Or think of if—heaven forbid—we pursue incineration, with its massive costs and the pollution it would generate. The less time items spend in the waste stream, the better.

Ottawans understand this. A couple weeks ago, OSEAN (Ottawa South Eco-Action Network) collaborated with Eco Westenders for their second annual Lone Mitten Project, where they pair up solo, abandoned mittens. OSEAN also does mending circles, cloth diaper trial kits and support, sock recycling and repurposing, and pumpkin collection after Halloween. Other community groups have helped restaurants eliminate food waste and held repair cafes and clothing swaps. The opportunities are endless, and Ottawans are limited only by time and funds.

I should add that these initiatives help City Council meet your commitments not only on waste diversion, but also on emissions reductions. The GHG inventory released last fall showed that community emissions from waste rose 5.5% from last check in 2021, and that waste generates a whopping 31% of our corporate emissions—like from Trail Road. Council needs the community’s help here.

But the large majority of community waste diversion initiatives happen on a volunteer basis. What would be possible if this work was funded?

When we brought our request for community waste diversion funding to Council, we—and the 240 people who signed our petition—asked specifically 1) for this to be a multi-year program, 2) for $1.5 million over this time, and 3) for it to cover operational costs—staffing, rent, and insurance. Indeed, operations are often the majority of costs—particularly for larger community organizations, who could shoulder a larger share of waste diversion if they received supportive funded. 

If you’re cautious about allowing operational costs, just pilot it this year. Staff plan to review the entire CEPGP program in 2027 and can reassess then. 

So please do vote to support the community’s waste diversion efforts, but make funding multi-year, increase it, and above all cover all costs incurred. It’ll be the best waste dollars Council has spent, and it’ll build community in the process.

One final note: we were surprised to see that this waste diversion fund was essentially the only item of substantive action on today’s agenda, particularly given that January’s meeting of this committee was cancelled, and there’s no March meeting. And of course in a few short months, election season begins, and City business will dry up until mid-November at the earliest.

Meanwhile, we’re in a climate emergency, and our GHG emissions keep rising, contrary to our commitments, and we know the next extreme weather is just around the corner. Shouldn’t we be taking a bit more action than this?