‘Act on Litter’ and help put litter in its proper place

Each year, the second Tuesday of May marks the Provincial Day of Action on Litter, an initiative to raise awareness of the impacts of waste on our environment and encourage everyone to do their part to help keep our environment clean and healthy for generations to come. This year, the Provincial Day of Action on Litter is May 9, 2023.

We all play a role in reducing the amount of waste going to landfills. Together, we can take action at home and in the community by reducing, diverting, or preventing waste from reaching landfills.

Ontario has identified the following actions we can take to put litter in its proper place:

Reduce waste. Give old products new life instead of throwing them away. For example, use old containers for storage or support second-hand clothing stores instead of buying new.

Divert waste. Recycle or compost materials to help divert waste away from landfills. Use your blue recycling and green food waste bins. When cleaning up litter, separate the recyclables from the garbage.

Prevent waste and litter. Stop waste before its created and has the chance to become litter. Choose to buy goods with less packaging or bring a reusable cup to take-out establishments that accept them.

Clean up litter. Help keep your community clean by picking up and properly disposing of waste or organizing a community litter cleanup in your neighbourhood. See Ontario’s Litter Cleanup Guide for a checklist that will help you plan a safe, successful cleanup event.

Properly dispose of waste. Make sure anything that belongs in the trash is securely placed in garbage bins to help keep our neighbourhoods clean.

We can help!

If you organize a cleanup in your neighbourhood, email operations@clarington.net and let us know which park, trail, or green space you’ll be cleaning and how many people will be helping out. We’ll provide garbage bags and gloves and coordinate the disposal of the collected waste. We’re here to support your cleanup efforts year-round.

Promote your cleanup

On the day of your cleanup, have fun, be safe, and share the results online. Share before and after photos of your cleanup on social media using the hashtag #actONlitter! Tag us on Facebook @MunofClarington or Twitter @ClaringtonON, and we will share your amazing work!

Safety tips

• Wear gloves while picking up waste.
• Avoid touching your face.
• Immediately wash or sanitize your hands when you’re done collecting waste.
• Supervise children and don’t let children wander off alone.
• Avoid unsafe areas such as railway tracks, creeks, riverbanks and roadways.
• Be careful of wild animals, insects, hives and nests, and noxious weeds such as poison ivy and giant hogweed.
• Do not pick up dangerous items like needles, broken glass, hazardous waste or dead animals. Please email operations@clarington.net to let us know the location of these items, and we will arrange for safe disposal.

To learn more about the Provincial Day of Action on Litter and find more ways to take action, visit www.ontario.ca/actONlitter or contact actONlitter@ontario.ca.