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Part of Waste management

Littering

Litter is unsightly and can pose a risk to public health and the environment. Help reduce litter on public land and in your community.

Overview

Littering refers to disposing of waste, debris or garbage in places that are not designated waste containers or waste management facilities. It can be small items such as food wrappers or large items such as mattresses. Littering is unsightly and can cause harm to residents, wildlife and the environment.

Legislation

Legislation about littering can be found in:

  • Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act (EPEA)
    EPEA does not allow any person to create litter on public land, on highways, on land owned by local authority, on water or ice, or on another person’s land (Sections 176 to 182).
  • Municipal Government Act
    Municipalities have the ability to write bylaws specific to nuisance under Section 7 of the Municipal Government Act. The municipality can create a bylaw and choose how best to enforce it, including fines. The fine for littering varies from municipality to municipality.
  • Public Health Act
    Section 8 and Section 9 of the General Nuisance and General Sanitation Regulation (AR 241/2003) under the Public Health Act has requirements related to the storage of waste and the waste management at event grounds.
  • Public Lands Act
    Section 54 of the Public Lands Act prohibits the accumulation of waste material, debris, refuse or garbage on public land.
Illustration of a person throwing trash into a bin

What to do if you see litter

On public land

If the waste is on public land, contact 310-LAND (5263).

Also see:

On municipal property

If the waste is on municipal property, contact your local municipality. Most municipalities have litter bylaws. Each municipality is unique and their litter bylaw can include a process on how to make a complaint and various fines for offenders.

Community clean-up

If safe to do so, and using proper protective equipment (example: gloves), collect the waste yourself to dispose of in an appropriate waste collection bin.