Messy mailbox photo on Twitter leads Canada Post to clean it up

YorkRegion.com
June 12, 2014
Kim Champion

Vaughan Citizen reader Martin B. emailed the newsroom a photo of a messy super mailbox on Warbler Drive, northwest of Rutherford Road and Dufferin Street and asked: Can anything be done by Canada Post or the city to prevent this type of mess?

Martin went on to say the local waste collectors would not empty the blue box since it is not in front of someone’s house.

“The trash just sits there and spoils the neighbourhood. Canada Post gets paid to deliver the brochures that no one wants, but has no responsibility to clean up the mess,” he said.

“The public is too lazy to take the unwanted mail home and place it in their own trash bin. Isn’t there someone that can ticket the litterbugs?” 

Citizen editor Kim Champion posted the photo to Twitter on Friday, asking whose responsibility it is to keep the area around these super mailboxes clean?

This issue was debated among several people on Twitter who live in Vaughan.

Shortly after, Canada Post media relations manager Carley Smith wrote in an email that she came across @VaughanEditor’s series of tweets over the weekend regarding the litter issue at the local community mailbox site in Vaughan.

“I would like to let you know that I alerted our team internally and the litter has been taken care of,” Smith wrote. “We understand that the actions of a small minority of people can result in litter around some community mailboxes, just as this issue affects parks, plazas, sidewalks and other urban areas.”

Smith added that people could take all mail and information they receive at the mailbox home and, once it’s been read, recycle it in their own blue box.

“Paper is the most recycled product in Canada and most municipalities have good recycling programs that have become second nature for everyone,” Smith said. “We encourage all residents to respect their neighbours and neighbourhoods. While putting a garbage bin next to the community mailbox may seem like a solution, if you do that in a place where people are already littering, that bin could soon be filled with dog waste, or things that people forgot to put out on garbage day.”

Smith also said that residents should alert Canada Post’s customer service department to any issue relating to their mail, including this unfortunate case, and the corporation will make sure that the issue is resolved promptly (1-800-267-1177.)

Meanwhile, an inquiry at the city prompted this response: Residents are asked to report litter and any illegal dumping activities by calling the Public Works Department at 905-832-2281 or Parks & Forestry Operations Department at 905-832-8577. You can also contact them online at vaughan.ca.

“The city’s collection contract does not include the collection of blue boxes at Canada Post mail boxes. Council has approved a public awareness campaign in 2014 to remind residents not to litter at Canada Post mailboxes. Staff will focus some of its education and awareness efforts on community mailbox locations that are prone to litter. Some of these efforts include resident engagement and permanent anti-littering signs,” city spokesperson Ted Hallas said.