Hastings Highlands' Roadside Cleanup 2026

To Do List - Hastings Highlands 2026 Roadside Cleanup

1. Stop by the Municipal Office to pick-up the garbage bags and vinyl gloves you’ll need for the cleanup.

2. Decide on a location for cleanup with your cleanup team participants.

3. Gather your own protective equipment, such as a litter grabber, and sturdy footwear for the cleanup. It is also a great idea to have hand sanitizer available.

4. Don’t forget to correctly separate recyclable materials from garbage using the bags provided.

5. Have fun! Take photos of your progress and your cleanup team consider taking a before and after photo of your site to show the progress. Post photos publicly to social media using the hashtags #actONlitter and #HHCleansup2025 for the Municipality to see and consider sharing!

6. All Done? You can leave the garbage you collected in a bag placed safely on the side of the road for the Municipality to pick-up. Give us a call to let us know where we can pick it up (613)-338-2811 x202.

Don’t forget to go online to report the litter you cleaned-up on the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks website at: https://www.ontario.ca/form/litter-cleanup-reporting-form

Did you know, that by reporting the type of litter you pick-up on the Ministry’s site you are helping to inform future government decisions?

For a downloadable PDF copy of this information, click here.

SAFETY TlPS!

Safety first! Review the safety tips below and take the necessary precautions during your community cleanup.

•    Use personal protective equipment (gloves} or a litter grabber when picking up litter and properly dispose of your own personal protective equipment safely in a sealed garbage bin after your cleanup.

•    Cleanups should take place during daylight hours and should not take place after sunset or before sunrise.

•    Be mindful of unstable or slippery ground (e.g. ravines, river banks}, in tunnels or near stormwater management ponds.

•    Consider wearing a safety vest or brightly coloured clothing if collecting litter along a roadway.

•    Do not pick up dangerous materials such as glass, barbed wire, syringes/ needles, medical waste, pipes, chemicals and debris with sharp or rusted edges. Instead note down the item and the location, and after your cleanup contact your local municipality's waste management department to make them aware.

•    Avoid water-filled areas such as ditches, streams or ponds. Be extra cautious in areas where there could be water or ice.

•    Be careful of wild animals, insects, hives and nests, and noxious weeds such as poison ivy and giant hogweed.

•    Report suspicious items to the local police department via their non-emergency telephone number or to the Ontario Provincial Police non-emergency number at 1-888-310-1122.

For a downloadable PDF copy of this information, click here.

RECYCLING TIPS

•    Use separate disposal bags for recyclables and garbage whenever possible.

•    Some municipalities have a mobile waste app that you can use on the go to find out what items should be recycled versus put in the garbage - check with your Local municipality and download the app in advance if available!

•    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. Remember safety first! You can always Leave certain items as you found them, note down the item and the Location, and after your cleanup contact your Local waste management department to make them aware. Examples of hazardous waste include:

•        syringes (don't touch!)

•        batteries

•        aerosol containers

•        fluorescent tubes and compact florescent Lamps (CFLs)

•        helium and propane/BBQ tanks/cylinders

CLEANUP SITE IDEAS

•    trails

•    common play areas in your community

•    a public park

•    the sidewalks along a neighborhood street

•    vacant Lots or parking Lots (ensure you have owner's permission)

For a downloadable PDF copy of this information, click here.