‘This year is a little bit different’: King’s annual Earth Day cleanup moves forward

COVID-19 pandemic has forced township staff to take extra safety precautions

Yorkregion.com
April 22, 2021
Laura Broadley

Historically, King Township staff have organized an annual cleanup day, but the provincewide stay-at-home order because of the COVID-19 pandemic is forcing staff to evaluate the risks of continuing.

The event is usually done during Earth Week and targets the whole community. This year, the event is planned for April 24.

“This year is a little bit different. We’re not encouraging group gatherings. We’re encouraging people to independently register a cleanup location and stay within their household,” said Kathryn McLellan, environmental stewardship outreach co-ordinator with King Township.

This year, everyone is required to register prior to the cleanup day.

“We’re trying to ensure safety measures are in place,” McLellan said. “We really want to ensure everyone is following public health guidelines. We’re providing tips and tricks on that.”

To register for the event, contact environmentalstewardship@king.ca or call 905-833-6555.

More information, updates and a list of supply pick up locations can be found on the township’s website at www.king.ca/CommunityCleanup.

An increase in litter has been reported by York Region, and according to Laura McDowell, director, environmental promotion and protection for Environmental Services at the region, every regional road is patrolled regularly with ongoing maintenance done.

Crews staffed by the cities and towns are currently focused on spring cleanup, which includes street sweeping, debris cleanup and flushing road islands and curbs to prevent pollutants from entering water systems.

"Together with our local cities and towns, works to promote positive environmental practices and to help raise awareness for the need to reduce waste and to recycle, compost or dispose of items responsibly, specifically single-use plastics," McDowell said.

Litter consisting of personal protective equipment (PPE) --masks and gloves --has also been noticed around the region, specifically in park grounds and business plazas.

Morgan Jones, director of operations within community and fire services commission for Markham, reminds residents to properly discard their PPE by taking it home with them and putting it in the garbage.

"If you think about a mask, it looks like paper, so people think that could go into the blue bin and that actually contaminates the whole blue box," Jones said.

To address blue box contamination, the region's SM4RT Living Plan --recently updated in 2020 --includes a voluntary "ask first" program to reduce single-use items.

In the case where PPE is discarded in public garbage bins, it most often ends up becoming windblown litter, Jones said.

Residents are urged not to pick up PPE litter amid the pandemic, since the risks are far too high in case the PPE came in contact with COVID-19.

Staff across the municipalities are trained to pick up litter safely, wearing proper PPE and using special tools. Residents are asked to contact their city or town when they come across litter, who will then dispatch staff.

In the case where residents want to participate in a Ministry of Environment, Conservations and Parks cleanup, they can refer to this guide, which, for example, advises you to wear PPE and maintain social distancing.

The region also has an ongoing weekly social media campaign --Waste Wednesday --that reinforces how to properly relate and dispose of household items. Residents can also take quizzes, and ask each other and the region questions.