Sick of seeing all the litter? Toronto's annual citizen cleanup is making a comeback this year

Takeout containers, cigarette butts, napkins and a whole lot of masks have been piling up in Toronto's parks and streets over the last two years — but the city's annual citizen cleanup effort is making a comeback this spring to clear all that trash away.

Many Torontonians come together every year to help pick up the litter that accumulates over the winter in city spaces as part of the annual Clean Toronto Together campaign. Pandemic public health measures largely put a stop to those efforts, however, meaning a sharp increase in litter since 2020. But citizen cleanups are on the list of events the city is launching again for the first time since 2019 as COVID-19 restrictions ease.

"Even though picking up garbage can seem like the least fun thing in the world you can ever imagine doing, it actually builds a kind of connection to a park," said Jodi Lastman, director of marketing for Park People, an organization that mobilizes residents to use and care for their parks.

"Once you've cleaned a place, you're more likely to care about the park."

The city says more than 200 groups have already officially registered for the community cleanup, which takes place April 22 to 24 to coincide with Earth Day. Residents interested in joining a cleanup effort can sign up on the city's website. Those groups may receive in-kind support and coordination from the city. 

About 1,000 city staff will also be contributing to cleanup efforts this spring, says Lisa Duncan, the director of collections and litter operations for the city's Solid Waste Management division.

Even though this year's harsh winter conditions buried a lot of litter under snowbanks before her staff could pick it up, Duncan is confident that Torontonians will "see a big difference in the city over the next six weeks."

But Duncan also says there is a lot Torontonians can do to get ahead of the litter.

With more people using beaches and parks, receptacles may get full. However, placing your trash next to a full bin where it may blow away, is not a good idea, she warns.

Instead, she suggests taking your trash to a different bin and calling 311 or using the city's 311 app to let staff know to clear an overfiowing trash can.

Lastman agrees that there are steps people who want to enjoy outdoor spaces can take to prevent littering. She says you should bring reusable containers and utensils, instead of saying yes to single-use take-out items.

"With use comes unfortunately misuse … People have their coffee cups and picnics and with that comes waste and not all of it ends up where it should."