Even though Ottawa's apartment dwellers throw most of their bottles, cans and paper into the trash, both the city and landlords say it would be too expensive to make it easier for them to recycle.

In Ottawa's 90,000 multiresidential units, 81 per cent of materials that could be recycled goes into the trash.
(CBC)

About 81 per cent of the recyclable items from multiresidential buildings in Ottawa end up in the garbage, according to the city.

But Peter Hume, the chair of the city's planning and environment committee, said it would take major building renovations to boost those rates by making recycling more convenient for the residents of the 90,000 apartment units.

The city isn't prepared to make that investment, he said.

"There are probably other places that you could go that would maximize diversion in other sectors of the city than apartment buildings," he said in a recent interview with CBC News.

For example, the city could extend its green box program to restaurants, he said.

He also pointed out that the city picks up recyclable materials for free, distributes promotional posters, and has set aside money in this year's budget for two people to work with landlords to promote recycling.

Need easier ways to recycle, apartment dwellers say

Suzanne Séguin says it is so cumbersome to recycle in her apartment building that many people don't bother.
(CBC)

But apartment dwellers such as Suzanne Séguin say that, as it stands, it is too hard to recycle in their buildings.

For example, every time Séguin wants to put things in for recycling, she has to collect the cans and bottles in a plastic bag, leave her apartment, lock the door, take the elevator downstairs and walk outside to the bin.

"It would just be so much better if it was handy or convenient because people don't want to make the effort," she said.

No space for recycling: landlord

Osgoode Properties, which owns the east end building, says the building wasn't built with the space to accommodate recycling and putting a bin on every floor would not be practical.

"That could create a whole other set of problems in terms of cleanliness, in terms of possible fire hazard, smells and so on," said spokesman Geoff Younghusband.

"It would probably do more harm than good."

Many other Ottawa highrises face similar challenges, as most were built before recycling became standard practice.

John Dickie, a spokesman for the Eastern Ontario Landlord Organization, said landlords are in a competitive industry and are giving tenants what they want.

"Tenants don't want to pay additional costs for recycling," he said.

Recycling saves co-op money

But recycling can actually save residents money, one local housing co-operative has found.

At the Abiwin Housing Co-operative, volunteers bring recycling bins to every floor and empty them once they're full.

They also compost organic waste and use the compost for gardening.

Donald Théoret says encouraging recycling and composting has saved his housing co-operative almost $4,000 in garbage pickup services.
(CBC)

Resident Donald Théoret said the moves have  reduced the need for garbage pickups from three a week to one.

"It's a small thing that goes a long way. We save up to almost $4,000 a year, just by reducing the waste and increasing the output for the recycling," he said.

Meanwhile, Séguin said she is frustrated that a new citywide composting program scheduled to begin in 2008 will only include single-family dwellings.

"We're excluded from normal society, because we live in an apartment?" she asked.

"I don't think it's very fair and it's not very good for the whole environment."