Litter Clean Up Shouldn’t End In Fall

The City has a litter control program, the Capital City Cleanup, which is proving very successful in improving the outdoor tidiness of our city.  In the last couple of years we have made good headway on the summer program.  But that only covers part of the year.  Along with Councillor Kim Krushell, I have made a Council Inquiry about how we can expand litter reduction during the winter as well.  This is part of the larger Winter City initiative I am working on, looking at ways to make Edmonton more enjoyable in the winter.

Winter is much more of a challenge, with ice and snow making it more difficult to get litter off the ground and into garbage bins where it belongs. Slippery roads and sidewalks, deep snowdrifts and cold temperatures are all extra challenges. But people still go outdoors, whether for recreation or just walking to the bus. I hope there will be room for some public participation in a winter anti-litter campaign; by late winter there is often a messy collection of litter on our streets and sidewalks.

We have just put in place an enhanced cleaning initiative downtown, called the “Total Look of Clean” Pilot Project. Phase One started this June, with Rice Howard Way area is the focus. Two new pieces of equipment, called ‘Madvacs’ cleaned the streets, alleys and sidewalks in Rice Howard Way.  Phase Two, next spring, will involve reduction and removal of dumpsters to create a more pedestrian-friendly area. 

We hope to find other ways to make real improvements in winter months. Meanwhile, the City needs your continuing vigilance in picking up litter that you notice. Using garbage cans, using ash trays for those cigarette butts, and keeping vigilant to keep litter in its place, are all important. 

So let’s look forward to more improvement in our City’s “Total Look of Clean” image!