Ontario Working to Establish An Official Day of Action on LitterPublished on
First Annual Litter Clean-Up Day will be May 12, 2020
October 23, 2019 9:15 A.M. Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks
Toronto — Ontario is protecting what matters most and keeping our neighbourhoods, parks, and waterways clean and free of litter and waste by working to establish the province's first official day focused on the clean-up of litter on May 12, 2020.
Jeff Yurek, Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, and Andrea Khanjin, Parliamentary Assistant, were at Innisfil Beach Park today to announce the date for the first annual Day of Action on Litter, as part of Waste Reduction Week.
"By coming together, we can keep our environment free of litter and waste," said MPP Khanjin. "That's why our government is establishing Ontario's first Day of Action on Litter to help keep our province clean and beautiful now and for future generations. We look forward to working with communities to promote environmental stewardship and bring clean-up activities to schools, neighbourhoods and municipalities across the province."
"People in Ontario are passionate about keeping our province's nature and communities litter-free, and our government will continue to support and encourage real environmental action," said Minister Yurek. "We will be working with partners, communities and businesses from across the province to help make this day a success and encourage everyone to participate in local clean-up events. This is an opportunity for all of us to do our part to keep Ontario clean and to raise awareness of the need to reduce how much waste we produce."
Reducing litter and waste in our communities, encouraging meaningful local environmental actions, and keeping the province clean and beautiful are key commitments in our Made-in-Ontario Environment Plan.
- Ontario generates nearly a tonne of waste per person each year.
- It is estimated that every 1,000 tonnes of waste diverted from landfill generates seven full-time jobs, $360,000 in wages and more than $700,000 in gross domestic product.
- More than 80 per cent of litter collected during volunteer clean-ups along the shorelines of the Great Lakes is plastic.
- Ontario is transitioning the Blue Box Program to a producer responsibility model to improve recycling and address the serious problem of plastic pollution and litter.
- Ontario posted a discussion paper: Reducing Litter and Waste in Our Communities on the Environmental Registry from March 6 to April 20, 2019 and received close to 18,000 comments, which are currently being reviewed to inform next steps.
- Read the Made-in-Ontario Environment Plan
- Read the Waste Discussion Paper