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To: City of Ottawa Garbage and Recycling

Mandate condos to offer composting

Photo by Jas Min on Unsplash
Food scraps belong in the compost where they can be converted to soil fertilizer not the landfill where they are the source of methane gas, a potent greenhouse gas. As the City of Ottawa searches for ways to divert waste from landfills and given that more and more Ottawa residents currently live or will live in condos, apartment buildings or co-operatives that compost much less than single-family homes this is the prime opportunity to mandate composting in these facilities. Residents in buildings divert only 27 per cent of their waste, compared to 65 per cent for those who live in houses because buildings either lack infrastructure and/or because the practice isn't encouraged. Residents, despite wanting to compost now just toss their organic food scraps in with the regular garbage and it goes down the shoot. No organics should be allowed in the garbage.

Why is this important?

It’s a step backwards in our society to build housing that does not promote environmental living practices. Just because it may be more convenient certainly doesn’t make it acceptable. We must act locally to make the changes necessary in every realm of living to address the real threats of pollution and climate change.

Updates

2023-06-16 20:16:23 -0400

25 signatures reached

2023-06-11 13:14:53 -0400

10 signatures reached