Toronto’s next annual spring cleanup will be April 19 to 21, 2024
Thank you to all the residents, schools, businesses and other volunteers who joined us on April 21-23, 2023.
During the Friday, Saturday and Sunday event, over 1,000 cleanups took place across the city and over 70,000 volunteers pitched in to help cleanup litter in Toronto’s parks, beaches, or other public spaces.
Please remember, if you see litter put it where it belongs – inside any of the City’s street or park garbage bins. Working together we can keep Toronto clean and green all year long!
20-Minute Makeover
On the Friday during the spring cleanup weekend is the 20-Minute Makeover. This event was created with Toronto businesses in mind but is open to everyone who prefers a weekday cleanup.
Joining the 20-Minute Makeover is easy:
Select a public space that needs your help such as a park, sidewalk, ravine or beach.
Pick a 20-minute timeframe that works for your group. Many groups schedule a 2 p.m. cleanup.
Register your cleanup. Registering your cleanup helps to avoid duplicate cleanups at the same location and helps the City to arrange for special litter collection, if required.
Gather supplies for your cleanup, including litter bags, gloves, trash grabbers (optional), hand sanitizer, and water/snacks.
On cleanup day, share a photo of your cleanup in progress – using hashtag #cleantoronto
Safety tips and other guidance will be provided to registered participants prior to the cleanup weekend.
Registration is closed. See you in 2024!
Community Cleanup Days
On the Saturday and Sunday during the spring cleanup weekend, community groups, families and individuals are encouraged to visit a local park or other public space to help cleanup litter – such as small plastics, cans, bottles and other waste. Taking part is easy:
Select a public space that needs your help such as a park, sidewalk, ravine or beach.
Pick a time that works for you. We recommend a maximum of one hour.
Register your cleanup. Registering your cleanup helps to avoid duplicate cleanups at the same location, and helps the City plan for special litter collection, if required.
Gather supplies for your cleanup, including litter bags, gloves, trash grabbers (optional), hand sanitizer, and water/snacks.
On cleanup day, share a photo of your cleanup in progress – using hashtag #cleantoronto
Safety tips and other guidance will be provided to registered participants prior to the cleanup.
Registration is closed. See you in 2024!
School Cleanup Day
The City welcomes the support of students, schools, colleges and universities to help keep Toronto clean. Gather students and staff and spend 20-minutes cleaning up your schoolyard or a neighbourhood park.
Other important information:
School cleanups should have approval from your school principal or property manager.
We encourage school cleanups to celebrate Earth Day.
TDSB and TCDSB participants will be provided additional information where to get bags and gloves.
The City no longer provides free cleanup supply kits to schools.
Registration is closed. See you in 2024!
About Clean Toronto Together
Since 2004, the City of Toronto has held a city-wide spring cleanup weekend that brings together Toronto residents and community groups, schools, businesses and City staff to help clean litter from our public spaces, including parks, beaches and schoolyards. Toronto’s spring cleanup is the largest municipal cleanup in Canada.
To help co-ordinate the cleanups, the City offers online registration so that participants can book their cleanup location and request a special litter collection, if required.
Clean Toronto Together is currently without a major corporate sponsor. As a result, free garbage and recycling bags are no longer available. Participants are encouraged to reuse plastic bags from home for litter collection.
Wear appropriate and protective clothing (boots, gloves, rain jacket, hat, sunscreen).
Bring a first aid kit; students should be accompanied by a person trained in first aid.
Be mindful of vehicles when near or adjacent to a road.
Do not work on unstable or slippery ground (ravines, river banks), in tunnels, or near stormwater management ponds.
Only pick-up litter. Leaves, twigs and plants can remain on the ground.
Avoid stepping on shrubs, bulbs, and flowers.
Do not pick up or move heavy objects such as tree limbs.
Do not pick up dangerous items (needles or syringes, metal, chemicals, medical waste) – report the location of these items to 311.
Hazardous waste such as batteries, aerosol containers, fluorescent tubes, compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), helium and propane tanks/cylinders, should be set aside from recycling and litter.
Report suspicious items to Toronto Police Service via their non-emergency telephone number at 416-808-2222.
Recycle Right
Recycling Tips
Only put clean recycling in the blue bags, such as empty plastic bottles and aluminum cans.
Place dirty recyclables, wet papers, and metal in the litter bag.
Recyclables collected in a City park should be placed in or beside the large City blue bins in the park.
Check the Waste Wizard or download TOwaste App on your smartphone to find out what can and cannot be recycled.
Household Hazardous Waste
Keep hazardous waste separate from garbage and recycling. Hazardous waste includes batteries, aerosol containers, fluorescent tubes, compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), helium and propane tanks/cylinders, syringes and needles.
Do not pick up dangerous articles (syringes and needles, metal, chemicals, medical waste) – report the location of these items to 311. School cleanup leaders may report this to their Superintendent.
