Purpose
To provide a Program to establish how the Township will work together with volunteers who offer to clean up garbage illegally dumped in specific areas. This type of support from volunteers is very important to the Township and their interest in helping the community is greatly appreciated.
Objective
The objective of the Community Stewardship Program is to demonstrate the municipality’s support of volunteers and ratepayers who want to improve the community. These initiatives will beautify our community by reducing the amount of unsightly, unhealthy and environmentally damaging waste in our public areas while improving the safety of those spaces.
Those volunteering their time through this Program demonstrate a sense of pride in their community and set an example for others. Through the community social network, their actions inform and educate others on the importance of looking after our public spaces.
Scope and Responsibility
This Program covers the entire Municipality and applies to anyone wanting to pick up garbage or recycling at any time along municipal roads or road allowances, County roads, Crown land roads or in parks or at beaches. The garbage and recycling collected can be taken to the Township Waste Sites at no cost to the volunteer.
Provincial Highways are excluded from this Township Program as the Ministry of Transportation has their own Program that volunteers can participate in.
Guidelines
- All waste collected must be in a Township logo bag.
If a volunteer requires Township logo bags for the purpose of this Program, please contact the Township.
If a volunteer plans to use their own Township logo bags and are taking it to the Waste Site on their own, please contact the Township to advise them so staff is aware of the initiative and can record it. - Although there is no requirement to separate recyclable materials from waste, if the volunteer would like to, it would be greatly appreciated.
If the recycling is going directly to the Waste Sites, it may be in clear plain plastic bags, blue bins or other suitable containers.
If the Township is required to pick it up, the recycling must be in clear plain plastic bags.
Please contact the Township if you require clear plain plastic bags. - If a volunteer plans to clean a roadside area or other area and requires the Township to pick up the waste and recycling that has been collected, please contact the Township ahead of time so they are aware of it and can make arrangements for pick up.
- If an item is too large to move, please leave it where it is and include its location in a follow up call or email to Township staff.
Please mark the roadside or other location with flagging tape or temporary marking paint to identify the area. - Please do not pick up dangerous objects such as broken glass, needles, sharp objects or dead animals. Please leave these items where they are and contact Township staff with their location so they can be disposed of safely. If it may be difficult for the Township to find, then please mark the roadside location with flagging tape or temporary marking paint.
- Please refrain from entering on to private property.
- All volunteers are responsible for their own safety. Please exercise good safety practices. Avoid potential dangers such as rock embankments or cliffs, lakes, rivers, river banks, road ways or other hazards. Avoid all ‘Construction Zones’.
- Tips for cleaning during COVID-19:
- Be sure to wear vinyl or nitrile gloves while picking up waste
- Avoid touching your face at all times
- When finished, dispose of your gloves in the garbage bag and immediately wash or sanitize your hands. It is advised to have hand sanitizer with you and wash hands as soon as possible.
- Please follow social distancing guidelines. If cleaning with a group, please follow all current group size limits as established by the Province of Ontario or Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox & Addington Public Health.
- For the purposes of this Program, the Township staff contact is the Senior Administrative Assistant who can be reached at 613-336-2286 ext. 203 or senioradmin@addingtonhighlands.ca
Effective Date
This Program shall take effect on the date of approval by the Council of the Corporation of the Township of Addington Highlands.