Litter Education

How you can help to reduce litter

• Use public space recycling and garbage bins when you’re out. If bins are not available, hold onto your garbage until you find a place to dispose of it properly, or take it home with you.
• Pick up after your pets whether on public or private property. If garbage bins at the park or along the trail you are visiting are not available, take the pet waste home. 
• Look for ashtrays on the top of City of Hamilton’s garbage receptacles on sidewalks and other outdoor areas. Don’t throw cigarette butts in the garbage.
• Choose reusable items over disposable ones whenever possible. This can include using reusable water bottles, shopping bags, utensils, and containers.
• Pick up litter in your yard.
• Keep your neighbourhood clean by picking up litter. Register your cleanup for FREE supplies or participate in a cleanup event at Team Up to Clean Up.
• Reduce the amount of advertising mail you receive through Canada Post.
• Report littering and illegal dumping to the City of Hamilton’s enforcement team at [email protected].

How to prepare your waste for collection on a windy day

• To prevent wind-blown litter, avoid overfilling your blue box and stack heavier boxes on top of lighter ones. If it’s windy, consider waiting until the next week to put out your recycling.
• Instead of laying paper and cardboard flat in your blue box, stand them up and down.

Cigarette litter prevention tips

• Never flick cigarette butts on the ground or out of your vehicle window while driving.
• Look for ashtrays on the top of the City of Hamilton’s garbage receptacles on sidewalks and other outdoor areas.
• Carry a pocket ashtray to safely extinguish and store cigarette butts if there are no ashtrays nearby.
• Cigarette butts can be recycled! Consider if TerraCycle’s Cigarette Waste Recycling program is right for you.

Use a pocket ashtray to reduce litter

Pocket ashtrays are handy tools to help avoid flicking a cigarette butt on the ground. To use a pocket ashtray, simply slide open the pocket ashtray, put your extinguished cigarette inside, then close the pocket ashtray tightly. Empty the pocket ashtray into the garbage when it is full.

Pick up a free pocket ashtray at any of these locations:

• Tourism Hamilton Visitor Centre - for info and hours: www.tourismhamilton.com/visitor-information
• All Hamilton Public Library branch locations. Find locations and hours.
• Municipal Service Centres (City Hall, Ancaster, Dundas, Glanbrook, Stoney Creek, Flamborough)

Sidewalk Ashtrays

Ashtrays are available in public space where smoking is permitted. Look for pole mounted ashtrays on Barton St E (within Barton Village BIA area) at these locations:

• 
  Barton Street East at Sherman Avenue North (south west corner)
• Barton Street East at Earl Street (north west corner near the bus stop)
• Barton Street East at Wentworth Street North (north east corner)
• Barton Street East at Cheever Street (north east corner)
• Barton Street East at Emerald Street North (north east corner)
• Barton Street East between Victoria Avenue North and Wellington Avenue North

The City of Hamilton also provides ashtrays on top of many sidewalk waste receptacles. The waste receptacles are placed throughout the city in busy areas. Look for the pink sticker on top of the receptacle to find the ashtray.

Community Responsibilities

• Only smoke in areas where smoking is permitted under the Smoke Free Ontario Act and the City of Hamilton’s bylaws regulating smoking in public places and workplaces and smoking in City parks and recreation areas.
• Always place cigarette butts in an ashtray or garbage receptacle once they are extinguished.
• Business owners may provide ashtrays outside their building and remind customers and employees to use the ashtray.
• Clean the sidewalk in front of your business or home regularly to prevent cigarette butts from piling up. 

City Responsibilities

• Provide ashtrays and garbage receptacles in public areas where smoking is permitted.
• Clean and maintain City-owned ashtrays and garbage receptacles on a regular basis.
• Provide resources and training for volunteer groups who want to help clean up cigarette butts and other litter items in parks, roads etc. such as the Team Up to Clean Up program.
• Increase awareness and engage residents and businesses through public education and outreach programs.
• Investigate complaints related to smoking in City parks, recreation areas and other areas where smoking is prohibited under the Smoke Free Ontario Act. Learn more about smoke and vape free areas.
• Hamilton Public Health Services offers programs to help people quit smoking. To learn about the different programs that are available, please visit www.hamilton.ca/tobacco. 

The City of Hamilton has over 5,000 public space litter containers across our City to maintain cleanliness and community well-being. They have been placed strategically with most found in high-traffic areas like sidewalks, bus stops, trails, and green spaces, as well as in Business Improvement Areas.  

These containers are for disposing of on-the-go items like fast-food packaging, cans, and bottles. They are not for household or business waste. Residents and businesses must have their own dedicated collection services for waste. 

We regularly review and adjust container placements based on factors like vandalism risk, illegal dumping, and traffic safety.

If you think your area needs a litter bin, call 905-546-CITY (2489).

Waste Container Locations

Recommended locations for on-street (non-transit) waste containers

• Business Improvement Areas and busy commercial zones
• Public sidewalks and areas near businesses that are on solid surfaces like cement.
• Accessible spots that won’t obstruct traffic or sight lines.

Not recommended locations for on-street waste containers

• Residential neighbourhoods, where residents are encouraged to dispose of waste at home. This includes pet waste and unwanted flyers from community mailboxes.
• Individual (stand-alone) businesses outside of the recommended locations. These properties must provide their own waste containers and service for their patrons.

Recommended transit waste container locations

• Bus stops with shelters and other high traffic transit stops.
• Near schools, commercial areas, or public attractions with high ridership.

Not recommended transit waste container locations

• Low-traffic areas or bus stops without shelters (for example, just a bench)
• Residential areas far from schools or commercial zones