Safety suggestions
- Wear appropriate and protective clothing according to the weather (closed-toe shoes, gloves, hat, sunscreen). Wear bright colours or reflective clothing for greater visibility (or safety vests)
- Always use gloves to pick up litter or use a litter picker if you have one
- Be careful near roads, rivers and waterways and do not go near railways, deep or fast-moving water or hydro dams
- Do not take risks attempting to reach litter in hard-to-get-to places
- Do not trespass on private property
- Watch for and avoid hazards, such as wild animals, insects (including ticks) and noxious weeds
- If you are feeling unwell on the day of your clean-up or encounter bad weather (e.g. thunder and lightning), reschedule for another date
- Always wash your hands after your clean up
Garbage pick-up instructions
Please leave bagged garbage in or by the nearest park or trail garbage can. For efficient waste pick-up, after you have completed your clean-up, please also report exactly when and where you have left garbage using our report a problem map tool.
How to report that garbage is ready for pick-up using Report a Problem Map:
You can report a problem in six easy steps from the Report a Problem Map site:
- Click “Proceed as guest“
- Select a category (select Parks and Trails)
- Click on + Submit a problem
- Fill out your details. Under Type of Problem select “Garbage or litter in a park” (please put the date that you left garbage for collection in the Problem Details)
- Select a location on the map
- Add a photo (if possible) and click Report it
Dealing with dangerous or hazardous waste items
If you find items that cannot be moved safely because they are too hazardous or difficult to move (i.e. mattress, construction items, broken glass, metal, needles, etc.) please leave them where they are and report using the report a problem tool and steps outlined above if found on City property. For dangerous or hazardous waste found on private property please consult the Waste Wizard on guelph.ca/waste or download the Guelph Waste App for proper disposal.
If you encounter SHARPS-DO NOT TOUCH! Sharps include needles or other biomedical waste that can penetrate the skin causing infection or other complications. If you do not have sharps training to dispose of them safely, please make note of the location, type of material and take a photo, then report it via the Report a Problem map if found on City property. To learn how to safely dispose of sharps, please consult Public Health’s guidelines on needle and sharps safety. In the City of Guelph, medical needles and lancets MUST NOT be placed in residential or public waste carts. If you can safely pick-up these items, please dispose of them at the Waste Resource Innovation Centre – Household Hazardous Waste Depot, closest participating pharmacy or public sharps container. These locations and addresses can be found at guelph.ca/waste when you search for ‘needles (medical)’ in the Waste Wizard.