Don’t wait – act!

Do your part on the Provincial Day of Action on Litter

Has the sight of litter in your neighbourhood ever made you want to take action? Today, on the Provincial Day of Action on Litter, is the perfect time to get involved!

Littering negatively impacts everyone’s quality of life – it’s harmful to the environment, dangerous for pets and wildlife who may eat or be injured by discarded items, and costs taxpayer dollars to clean up. It’s also estimated that nearly 10,000 tonnes of plastic debris enters Ontario’s lakes and rivers each year!

So how can you take action?

Today and beyond, the City of Vaughan is challenging you to kickstart litter-less habits at home and in the community. Here’s how:

• Put waste in its place: while outside, place your waste in the nearest garbage bin, blue box or green bin. Be sure to use the right one!
• Reuse and refill: instead of buying single-use items, bring a reusable cup or mug while on the go and take cloth tote bags with you when shopping.
• Avoid plastic: look for products that come either boxed or in glass or metal containers, as these materials can be recycled many times over. Also, replace plastic sandwich bags with reusable containers or thermoses.
• Bag it and bin it: when outside with your pets, clean up after them and use the waste bins provided. If the bins are full, take your garbage and pet waste home. It belongs in the green bin at home or the garbage out in the community.
• Start a community cleanup: create your own community cleanup event to better our environment. This program is also open to businesses and community groups.
• Place your waste out right: on windy days, the contents of your blue box can blow out if not placed in the box correctly. Do not overfill your blue box, place heavier items on top of lighter ones and flatten, cut down and bundle cardboard securely.
  • Alternatively, consider putting your recycling out the morning of collection day if there’s rain or wind overnight or wait until the following week. The City collects unlimited blue boxes weekly!

• Report litter: littering and illegal dumping are prohibited under the Dumping By-law 103-2020 (PDF). To report litter, full or overfilled bins around the community, contact Service Vaughan at 905-832-2281 or service@vaughan.ca.

Your actions matter. By helping to reduce litter, you’re showing respect for your neighbours and shared community spaces.

To read about the City’s commitment to protecting and respecting the environment and fostering a more sustainable community, visit vaughan.ca/litter. Check out these other waste reduction tips to try at home.

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