City of Ottawa staff are considering implementing a bag tag system for municipal garbage collection that would require residents pay extra for putting out multiple garbage bags, CTV News Ottawa has learned.
Several sources with knowledge of the proposal tell CTV News Ottawa that it will be presented to councillors next week. Sources said the program would give residents an allotment of tags for garbage bags and once that allotment runs out, they would need to purchase more. It's unknown how much tags would cost.
The idea is meant to reduce the amount of trash going to landfills, encourage greater use of green bins and recycling, and increase sustainable habits. Staff also acknowledged that a "pay as you throw" model would be met with resistance, because it might require significant behaviour changes from residents and could increase costs for some.
He said issues with bag tags include the theft of tags and increased cases of dumping garbage on the roadside, in parks or behind businesses.