(AGENPARL) – Fri 25 April 2025 City of Toronto Media Relations has issued the following:
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News Release
April 25, 2025
City of Toronto launches 20th annual Clean Toronto Together spring cleanup campaign
Today, Mayor Olivia Chow launched the City of Toronto’s 2025 Clean Toronto Together campaign, encouraging residents, schools, businesses and community groups to participate in the annual spring cleanup which began today and runs until Sunday, April 27.
Now in its 20th year, Clean Toronto Together is Canada’s largest municipal spring cleanup program.
Over the next three days, community groups, families, individuals, schools and businesses are invited to spend 20 minutes cleaning up litter from public spaces such as parks, ravines, sidewalks, laneways and beaches.
Participants are asked to register cleanups online at toronto.ca/cleantoronto to help the City share litter disposal instructions, provide safety tips and track participation.
Last year, 71,000 people participated in more than 870 cleanups during Clean Toronto Together.
City’s spring cleanup activities
Over a four-week period prior to Clean Toronto Together, the City deployed more than 1,000 pieces of equipment including litter vacuums, street and sidewalk sweepers, front-end loaders, dump trucks and power washers to remove dirt, debris and graffiti from streets, parks and watercourses, helping to enhance road and sidewalk safety, improve air quality and contribute to cleaner and safer green spaces.
The City’s spring cleanup activities include:
• Illegal dumping cleanup
• Street sweeping and cleanup of boulevards and laneways
• Litter and debris removal in parks
• Fence-line litter clearing
• Pothole blitzes
• Bike lane infrastructure maintenance.
The City’s spring cleanup operations removed 1,111 truckloads of waste for a total of 9,775 metric tonnes, as well as 3,398 square metres of graffiti.
The public can do their part to help keep Toronto clean and safe all year round by properly disposing of items in the street and park bins and not on the ground. Litter hot spots or overflowing bins can be reported to 311 Toronto by calling 311, via the 311 Toronto app or at http://www.toronto.ca/311.
Learn more about the many City programs that support waste reduction, reuse and the move towards a circular economy on the City’s Waste Strategy Programs & Initiatives webpage: https://www.toronto.ca/services-payments/recycling-organics-garbage/long-term-waste-strategy/why-do-we-need-a-waste-strategy/.
More information about spring cleaning and ongoing litter operations in Toronto is available in this fact sheet: add new Factsheet link
Leaving fallen leaves to help bees
While litter is typically an issue this time of year, residents are encouraged to leave fallen leaves, twigs and plants on their lawns and gardens for the next few weeks to help protect wild bees and native pollinators.
Decomposing leaves enrich the soil, protect plants and provide an essential habitat for nesting pollinators during the colder months. More information is available on the City’s Wild Bees webpage: https://www.toronto.ca/services-payments/water-environment/live-green-toronto/help-native-bees-pollinators/.
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“Torontonians deserve clean and beautiful parks and public spaces. Clean Toronto Together is about coming together to preserve healthy and vibrant public spaces for the good of our community. City staff, volunteers and organizers have been working hard to remove graffiti, fix potholes and clean up our city. This weekend, I encourage you to join in and help tidy up our parks and trails as we partner together to preserve great public spaces for everyone.”
– Mayor Olivia Chow