We love to hear from our visitors. This site is where you can bring your litter problems, ideas, rants and concerns. Dialogue is an important tool in the battle against littering. Use this site as your voice box. Use it to share stories and photos of litter prevention successes and failures. This site exists to assist you in reducing litter in your community with advice, information and through our groundbreaking Litter Prevention Program.
FROM LIANLIAN YUAN
Toronto, Canada
[Oct. 13, 2020] I would like to express thanks to Ms. Sheila White for her initiating this wonderful Littering Prevention Program and I appreciate her effort for stopping littering to keep our country and communities clean.
I live in Scarborough North near Woodside Square Mall. For many years I saw littering and dumping in public areas such as in community park and at roadside frequently. I even saw dumping and littering at Rouge Valley Park in Scarborough east.
Littering and dumping is an anti-environmental, selfish, ugly, disrespectful behavior damaging peoples' living environment and causing nuisance to others. It is a shameful behavior for those litterers to litter at their hands, especially when it is now Covid 19. The litterers disposed masks and gloves, food boxes, and disposed facial tissues that are very personally used and that may be highly contagious causing spread of Covid virus.
To prevent Covid 19, the government is demanding people of keeping social distancing, washing hands frequently and wearing masks etc., which is absolutely necessary. But the government is not making an effort to ban people from littering in public. In fact, the littered items can be a hidden source of Covid 19 virus spread and its potential harm is wide.
It is good that there are provincial law and municipal law prohibiting people from littering. Even so, we can still see littering and dumping here and there, from time to time. So enhancement of the law and executing of the law become extremely important.
I agree that educating people not to litter is good. I also suggest that educating people about the laws regarding no littering is more important. And the educating can start from TDSB for kids at schools and in community centers.
Also, since Canada is a country of immigrants, it is important to educate new immigrants not to litter or dump in public places upon their landing.
There are many people who are concerned about cleanness of our country and our living environment like Ms. Sheila White. Let's work together to advocate laws to stop people from littering in order to protect our living environment.
Toronto, Canada
[Oct. 13, 2020] I would like to express thanks to Ms. Sheila White for her initiating this wonderful Littering Prevention Program and I appreciate her effort for stopping littering to keep our country and communities clean.
I live in Scarborough North near Woodside Square Mall. For many years I saw littering and dumping in public areas such as in community park and at roadside frequently. I even saw dumping and littering at Rouge Valley Park in Scarborough east.
Littering and dumping is an anti-environmental, selfish, ugly, disrespectful behavior damaging peoples' living environment and causing nuisance to others. It is a shameful behavior for those litterers to litter at their hands, especially when it is now Covid 19. The litterers disposed masks and gloves, food boxes, and disposed facial tissues that are very personally used and that may be highly contagious causing spread of Covid virus.
To prevent Covid 19, the government is demanding people of keeping social distancing, washing hands frequently and wearing masks etc., which is absolutely necessary. But the government is not making an effort to ban people from littering in public. In fact, the littered items can be a hidden source of Covid 19 virus spread and its potential harm is wide.
It is good that there are provincial law and municipal law prohibiting people from littering. Even so, we can still see littering and dumping here and there, from time to time. So enhancement of the law and executing of the law become extremely important.
I agree that educating people not to litter is good. I also suggest that educating people about the laws regarding no littering is more important. And the educating can start from TDSB for kids at schools and in community centers.
Also, since Canada is a country of immigrants, it is important to educate new immigrants not to litter or dump in public places upon their landing.
There are many people who are concerned about cleanness of our country and our living environment like Ms. Sheila White. Let's work together to advocate laws to stop people from littering in order to protect our living environment.
FROM VINCE L.
Toronto, Canada
I am a smoker (sadly as I do hate them) and guilty of littering our city in the past - until that changed after a vacation to Singapore back in September 2012 and coincidently reading your article just 2 months later!!! Singapore left an impression on me as being one of the cleanest most beautiful cities in the world. The government took a stance by addressing the cigarette problem and the chewing gum problem:
Cigarette Butts:
If you are seen by a policeman throwing a cigarette anywhere other than in a city provided ashtray, you will be fined.
City ashtrays are designed to be appealing to the eye, no cigarette butts can be seen, and the design also eliminates trailing odours. Most impressive is the people of Singapore love the city, and they will stare down anyone that litters the streets or sidewalks. You will feel uncomfortable (and that is how it should be)
Chewing Gum:
Singapore has banned chewing gum simply because people tend to spit them out on the streets and sidewalk. The city was been cleaned of all gum stains and both roads and sidewalks are spotless. While this may seem drastic, as we should be free to chew on a gum if we want, it was the only alternative to invest in a clean city.
Conclusion: I no longer discard cigarettes on our streets and sidewalks, nor do I discard gums. Maybe Toronto should be polled to see what is more important to the people: chewing on a gum or a clean city?
Toronto, Canada
I am a smoker (sadly as I do hate them) and guilty of littering our city in the past - until that changed after a vacation to Singapore back in September 2012 and coincidently reading your article just 2 months later!!! Singapore left an impression on me as being one of the cleanest most beautiful cities in the world. The government took a stance by addressing the cigarette problem and the chewing gum problem:
Cigarette Butts:
If you are seen by a policeman throwing a cigarette anywhere other than in a city provided ashtray, you will be fined.
City ashtrays are designed to be appealing to the eye, no cigarette butts can be seen, and the design also eliminates trailing odours. Most impressive is the people of Singapore love the city, and they will stare down anyone that litters the streets or sidewalks. You will feel uncomfortable (and that is how it should be)
Chewing Gum:
Singapore has banned chewing gum simply because people tend to spit them out on the streets and sidewalk. The city was been cleaned of all gum stains and both roads and sidewalks are spotless. While this may seem drastic, as we should be free to chew on a gum if we want, it was the only alternative to invest in a clean city.
Conclusion: I no longer discard cigarettes on our streets and sidewalks, nor do I discard gums. Maybe Toronto should be polled to see what is more important to the people: chewing on a gum or a clean city?
FROM WENDY MURRAY
Angus Clean Environment (ACE), Scotland
Myself and a few other like minded friends look forward to receiving Litterland every week. It’s always good to see if there are any new ideas out there or simply to take comfort in the fact that others are experiencing something similar. Keep up the good work
Angus Clean Environment (ACE), Scotland
Myself and a few other like minded friends look forward to receiving Litterland every week. It’s always good to see if there are any new ideas out there or simply to take comfort in the fact that others are experiencing something similar. Keep up the good work
FROM BRENDAN P.
Toronto, Canada
Your analysis of all things "litter" is always interesting to read. You are a world expert, as I have noted before. Cheers!
Toronto, Canada
Your analysis of all things "litter" is always interesting to read. You are a world expert, as I have noted before. Cheers!
FROM COUNCILLOR JOHN UTLEY
Brantford, Ontario Thank you again for mentioning our city. One our goals in our Clean Brantford campaign will be to measure types and volumes of litter. This will help us identify a list of priority litter types to help focus our efforts and measure our successes. Lots of small steps to take. In my former life as a manager of programs at Mohawk College we created Canada's first Packaging Technology diploma program. Studies included picking up litter and garbage along the Highway 403 corridor in Brantford. Students came back with many bags and then sorted the litter into categories. The results were shared with fast food outlets locally and corporately as well as various associations. I appreciate you reaching out and offer to help support our crusade. My approach is to mobilize all citizens and fast food outlets with as little cost to taxpayers as possible. Last year I visited Japan and didn't see any cigarette butts or litter in Tokyo, a city of over 13 million. I was so impressed that citizens accept responsibility for their environment. This may take a generation or two to achieve our goal. I want to do this right and get community champions and corporate sponsors on side. Best regards.
Brantford, Ontario Thank you again for mentioning our city. One our goals in our Clean Brantford campaign will be to measure types and volumes of litter. This will help us identify a list of priority litter types to help focus our efforts and measure our successes. Lots of small steps to take. In my former life as a manager of programs at Mohawk College we created Canada's first Packaging Technology diploma program. Studies included picking up litter and garbage along the Highway 403 corridor in Brantford. Students came back with many bags and then sorted the litter into categories. The results were shared with fast food outlets locally and corporately as well as various associations. I appreciate you reaching out and offer to help support our crusade. My approach is to mobilize all citizens and fast food outlets with as little cost to taxpayers as possible. Last year I visited Japan and didn't see any cigarette butts or litter in Tokyo, a city of over 13 million. I was so impressed that citizens accept responsibility for their environment. This may take a generation or two to achieve our goal. I want to do this right and get community champions and corporate sponsors on side. Best regards.
FROM GRACE HARLOW-GILLIGHAN
on Facebook
When I was about ten years old, my mom older sister and I went on a road trip. We were not very far from home when my sister, about seventeen years my senior threw a candy bar wrapper out of the car window. Although a timid kid, I insisted my mother turn around and made my sister go back and pick up her litter! Guess if you are passionate enough even a little voice can have a big influence."
Q. Did your sister change her behavior?
"Yes I think she did. I don’t remember ever seeing her litter again anyway. I’m not sure if anyone ever heard that story, though. I should ask my sister the next time I’m talking to her. My mom’s passed on now but I think she was proud of me ‘cause she was quite an environmentalist."
on Facebook
When I was about ten years old, my mom older sister and I went on a road trip. We were not very far from home when my sister, about seventeen years my senior threw a candy bar wrapper out of the car window. Although a timid kid, I insisted my mother turn around and made my sister go back and pick up her litter! Guess if you are passionate enough even a little voice can have a big influence."
Q. Did your sister change her behavior?
"Yes I think she did. I don’t remember ever seeing her litter again anyway. I’m not sure if anyone ever heard that story, though. I should ask my sister the next time I’m talking to her. My mom’s passed on now but I think she was proud of me ‘cause she was quite an environmentalist."
FROM:
VIVIAN WHITE
Agincourt, ON
In Nova Scotia, there were four big bins, one each for aluminum, clear glass, coloured glass, and plastic. A big sign above them said "Let's recycle our resources - it's ecoLOGICAL!"
VIVIAN WHITE
Agincourt, ON
In Nova Scotia, there were four big bins, one each for aluminum, clear glass, coloured glass, and plastic. A big sign above them said "Let's recycle our resources - it's ecoLOGICAL!"