City Slickers

Goal: "City Slickers" are a volunteer group of citizens who equipped with: borrowed litter picker tools, trash bag hoops, trash bags, bag seals and City of Toronto waste removal stickers, will roam their neighbourhood streets, parks __ anywhere litter can be found, on an ad hoc basis, pick it up and bag it for removal by the City. These volunteers will not replace City of Toronto workers but compliment their efforts by concentrating on areas that are known to be 'trash magnets' and are currently not part of the City's focus. The funding required would be for the equipment needed for the "City Slickers" to safely and efficiently remove the litter from the streets, gutters, foliage ... wherever it accumulates. The tools are readily available from commercial providers:

https://usa.ungerglobal.com/wp-content/uploads/21920_Litter-Removal-Tools_SELLSHEET.pdf

https://www.knighton-tools.co.uk/acatalog/LITTER_PICKING_KITS.html

We already have "clean up days" in Toronto but just like rust, litter never sleeps and requires more than a photo op one day a year:

https://bit.ly/3N9EHuG

The purpose of funding "City Slickers" is to provide the necessary equipment loans and trash pick up stickers so City cleaning vehicles will remove the bagged litter along with other City bin container refuse. The cost would be minimal even for a 'starter' batch of say 50 complete litter collection kits and it is a completely 'moveable' project, i.e., if one area is not using all the equipment it can be moved to another interested zone in Ward 13. I have been doing this on my own initiative but lack the proper equipment and don't have the City of Toronto stickers necessary to have the full trash bags picked up along with other garbage.

In addition to the benefits of cleaning up litter in the neighbourhood, it provides an opportunity for neighbours to meet each other, gentle exercise, and a new pride in the place we live; it's a very 'zen-like' exercise when done with the proper tools.

I hope your office will consider this initiative as it requires relatively little money, no infrastructure costs, and is something that can be done on any day, by any interested resident in the ward.