City Streets Two Tonnes Cleaner

Each summer since 2014, the City of St. John’s hires a litter crew to clean the streets and areas of the city where litter tends to concentrate.

The 2023 crew are 75% through their contract and in that time have used 238 clear garbage bags to pick up more than two tonnes of litter from roadsides in St. John’s. This is approximately 20kg (44lbs) of litter picked up every day by each crew member!

This year, for the first time since 2014, the summer litter crew also visited several of the City’s summer day camps and led the camp participants (children & youth) in a litter clean up around their camp location. The camp participants were interested and engaged in picking up the litter and took pride in their efforts to clean up and beautify the area.

Unfortunately, all kinds of litter is found along our roadways and in open spaces. The most common items picked up this summer includes all the usual litter clean up culprits: disposable coffee cups, fast food waste (bags, napkins, wrappers, etc.), drink straws, a concerning amount of beer cans/liquor bottles in roadside ditches, and way too many vaping products and cigarette butts.

We want to thank this summer’s litter crew for doing this valuable and important work, and to thank all citizens who do their part to put waste in its proper place so that it does not become litter.

2023 Litter Crew Snapshot

238 = Number of clear garbage bags used

2 tonnes (2080kg/4,541lbs) = amount of litter collected in nine weeks by the crew

20kg (44lbs) = amount of litter collected by each crew member each day

100+ = number of streets cleaned, including all major thoroughfares

8 = number of illegal dump sites cleaned

Frequently seen litter types:

• Coffee cups
• Fast food waste
• Cigarette butts, packaging and plastic
• Lotto tickets (no winners found!)
• Drink straws

While we will take the lead in cleaning up around town, everyone has a role to play. Please pick up garbage in your neighbourhood and use the many garbage containers provided in public parks and spaces.