Close Alert Banner
Skip to Content

District Municipality of Muskoka Logo District of Muskoka Print Logo

Contact UsContact Us
  • Home
  • Contact Us
  • Categories
    • Airport
    • Area Municipalities
    • Business, Planning & Development
    • Careers and Volunteering
    • Children and Seniors
    • Community Services and Support
    • Council
    • EnviroHub
    • Finance and Administration
    • Garbage and Recycling
    • Health and Emergency Services
    • Housing
    • Provincial Offences Court
    • Roads and Transportation
    • Water and Sewer
    • Engage Muskoka
    • Feedback and Engagement
    • News and Public Notices

people cleaning up litter in a park

Clean Muskoka Together

HomeGarbage and RecyclingClean Muskoka Together
  • Open new window to share this page via Facebook Facebook
  • Open new window to share this page via LinkedIn LinkedIn
  • Open new window to share this page via Twitter Twitter
  • Email this page Email
Help keep Muskoka beautiful. Contribute to a cleaner and healthier community by volunteering to tackle litter.

people picking up litter

Let's Clean Muskoka Together!

Register here link
Registration is now open!


Clean Muskoka Together
is a year-round Muskoka-wide community litter clean-up program in partnership with our area municipal partners. This program provides all the tools you need to help keep Muskoka beautiful, including gloves, recycling bags and specially marked garbage bags.

The program helps keep public, community places in your neighbourhood clean. After registering, the Clean-Up Captain will receive a confirmation e-mail with instructions on how to pick up a Clean-Up Kit. All litter must be put in the specially marked Clean Muskoka Together garbage bags to be exempt from disposal fees at District Waste Facilities. These bags are only available to approved groups who have registered with our Clean Muskoka Together program.

After your clean-up, deliver the litter and recyclables to a District Waste Facility, and complete a Clean-up Report, here you can let us know how it went, and report any large, abandoned items volunteers found during the clean-up.  

* Please note, you must register ahead of your clean-up to qualify for a clean-up kit. We require at least a week's notice prior to your intended clean-up day.


Provincial Day of Action on Litter

Since 2020, the Provincial Day of Action on Litter is celebrated on the second Tuesday of May each year in Ontario. The Provincial Day of Action focuses on raising awareness about the impacts of waste on the environment and encourages everyone to take action such as participating in litter cleanups like Clean Muskoka Together. This year's Provincial Day of Action on Litter is May 10. Help keep our community clean and litter-free! Visit the Province of Ontario's website for more information on the 2022 Day of Action, and tips on how to reduce your waste footprint at home. 


 Register your Clean-up         Complete a Clean-up Report

How to participate - organizing your Clean Muskoka Together litter clean-up
  1. Register online at least a week in advance of your planned clean-up. 
  2. Find volunteers by encouraging your friends, family and neighbours to join your clean-up event. Select a public, community area where you've noticed litter. This program is meant for areas our community enjoys together, such as sports fields, community play areas, parks, trails and sidewalks. Please stay away from busy roadsides, private property and water bodies. 
  3. Arrange a date and time that will ensure a good turnout of volunteers. Set a rain date in case of bad weather. 
  4. Register your Clean-up online, and arrange to pick-up a Clean Muskoka Together kit. Please check your spam (junk) e-mail folder for your confirmation e-mail, if it's not in your inbox within a few days of registration.
  5. Review the safety information with your team, and clean-up and have fun! Specially marked garbage bags included in Clean-up Kits are accepted for free at District waste facilities. Remember to make sure plastic bottles, cans and other blue box items you find are recycled - use the transparent blue bags in your Clean-up Kit for recyclables. Please put found coffee cups in the garbage bag, along with any soiled paper recyclables.
  6. Deliver your litter - and tell us all about it! Follow the instructions in your Clean-up Kit to dispose of litter and recyclables at a District waste facility. Fill out a Clean-up Report - report abandoned furniture, large items or hazardous material.

  7. We would love to see your before and after photos and videos so show us by tagging @DistrictMuskoka and use the hashtag #CleanMuskokaTogether

For more information on the Clean Muskoka Together program, please email us. 

  

Picking up your Clean-up Kit

After registering, the Clean-up Captain will receive a confirmation e-mail. Clean-up Kits will be arranged for pick-up at a convenient location, such as the local municipal office or Waste Facility. Clean-up Kits are only distributed to registered participants.

Clean-up Kits include specially marked garbage bags, transparent recycling bags and gloves. All litter during your event must be placed in these specially marked garbage bags to be exempt from tipping fees at District Waste Facilities.

Safety tips and things to remember 
  • Protect yourself! Please follow the safety tips on the information sheet in your Clean-up Kit. 
  • Please do not go outside to clean in inclement weather such as thunder/lightening, high winds etc.
  • Please stay off private property. 
  • Please avoid potential dangers such as railway tracks, rivers, river banks and roadways.
  • Please do not pick up dangerous objects such as broken glass, needles, liquids, hazardous waste, sharp objects or dead animals. If you come across any of these items or are concerned with items you see, please leave them where you found them and include the location in the Clean-up Report so we can follow up and they can be disposed of safely. 
  • If an item is too large to place in your specially marked garbage bag, please leave it where it is and include its location in the Clean-up Report. 
  • All volunteers must read the safety guidelines provided in the Clean-up Kit prior to participating.
Disposing of litter  

After your event, your specially marked garbage bags must be delivered to any Waste Facility at no charge, and your clean-up efforts will be tracked. These bags cannot be collected at the curb.

Any abandoned large items such as furniture, appliances, hazardous waste, etc. must be identified on the Clean-up Report for collection. 

Recycle right!

Have fun keeping Muskoka beautiful! Specially marked garbage bags included in Clean-up Kits are accepted for free at District waste facilities.

Remember to make sure plastic bottles, cans and other blue box items you find are recycled - use the transparent blue bags in your Clean-up Kit for recyclables.

  • Only put clean recycling in the blue bags, such as empty plastic bottles and aluminum cans.
  • Place dirty recyclables, wet papers, etc. in the specially marked litter bag. 
  • Check our Waste Wizard or download our Muskoka Recycles app on your smartphone to find out what can and cannot be recycled.

Clean-up Report

After your event, please complete a Clean-up Report. The report:

  • Confirms the cleanup was completed successfully.
  • Helps us track the amount of garbage you collected.
  • Lets us know where and what you found.
  • Reports any large or hazardous items identified during your clean-up. 
  • Highlights the important cleanup work done by volunteers. 

Clean-up Report

FAQ's

How early do I need to register?
Clean-up Captains are encouraged to register at least one week prior to the intended clean-up date. After you register, the Clean-up Captain will receive a confirmation email with more information about picking up your Clean-up Kit at a convenient location.
What safety precautions should be considered before scheduling a clean-up?
All Clean Muskoka Together volunteers must read the safety information included in the Clean-up Kit and understand what to do if they come across any hazardous or large items.
  • Protect yourself! 
  • Please do not go outside to clean in inclement weather such as thunder/lighting, high winds etc.
  • Please stay off private property. 
  • Please avoid potential dangers such as railway tracks, rivers and riverbanks.
  • Please do not pick up dangerous objects such as broken glass, needles, liquids, hazardous waste, sharp objects or dead animals. If you come across any of these items or are concerned with items you see, please leave them where you found them and include the location in the Clean-up Report so we can follow up and they can be disposed of safely. 
  • If an item is too large to place in your specially marked garbage bag, please leave it where it is and include its location in the Clean-up Report.
Where do I pick up my Clean-up Kit?
Once you’ve registered to be a Clean Muskoka Together volunteer, instructions for your clean-up, including details on how to pick up a Clean-up Kit will be emailed to the Clean-up Captain.
What’s included in the Clean-up Kit?
Clean-up kits include supplies such as specially marked garbage bags (for no charge disposal at a waste facility), transparent recycling bags for recyclables and disposable gloves. 
Do I have to register my clean-up?
When a clean-up event is registered with us, we are able to track your success and ensure your efforts are counted towards our litter goals.

We also provide specially marked garbage bags in your clean-up kit, which are accepted at no charge at our waste transfer stations to those who have registered. Only these bags will be accepted as no charge disposal for litter clean-up efforts.

What do I do with the litter and recycling I collect?
The waste collected during your litter clean-up should be secured inside the specially marked bags supplied in your clean-up kit. These bags are accepted at no charge, at any District Transfer Station. A full list of our waste facilities and hours of operation can be found at www.muskokarecycles.ca
Check our Waste Wizard or download the Muskoka Recycles app on your smartphone to find out what is garbage and what is recycling.
What do I do if I find sharp objects? (broken glass, syringes, needles)
Volunteers must not handle hazardous waste. Please leave the items where you find them, and tell the Clean-up Captain so they can note the location details in your group’s Clean-up Report. Note any landmarks, a 911 number or an approximate location to help crews locate these items.
Can I schedule a clean-up as part of my high school hours?
Yes! Please e-mail our office for more information.
What if I need more supplies or I want to schedule another clean-up?
We’re here to help. Please email us at waste@muskoka.on.ca. If you’d like to schedule another clean-up, please visit www.muskokarecycles.ca and register for another date. We appreciate your efforts! 
What do I do if I find abandoned large items, like furniture or appliances?
Please leave the items where you find them and tell the Clean-up Captain so they can note the location details in your group’s post clean-up report.

 

Downloads and resources

  • Clean Muskoka Together - safety tips and reminders (pdf)
  • Clean Muskoka Together - information card (pdf)
  • Province of Ontario's litter cleanup guide: https://www.ontario.ca/page/litter-cleanup-guide

Contact us

If you have questions about the Clean Muskoka Together program, please email us at waste@muskoka.on.ca or call us at 705-645-6764.
We're here to help. 

people picking up litter

Subscribe to page updates
Garbage and Recycling
    • Collection Impacts and Delays
    • Collection Programs
      • Curbside Garbage Collection
      • Green Bin Organics Collection
      • Two-Stream Recycling
    • Drop-Off Locations and Landfill
      • Rosewarne Landfill
    • Find Your Collection Schedule
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Report a Missed Collection
    • Special and Seasonal Programs
      • Donate Reusable Items
      • Electronic Waste Drop-Off
      • Household Hazardous Waste Drop-Off
      • Leaf and Yard Waste
      • Waste Management in the Township of Georgian Bay
      • Waste Management in the Township of Lake of Bays
    • Where Does It Go - Put Waste in its Place
    • Clean Muskoka Together

Contact Us

District Municipality of Muskoka footer logo

Contact Us

The District Municipality of Muskoka

70 Pine Street
Bracebridge, ON P1L 1N3

Phone: 705-645-2100
Fax: 705-645-5319

  • Quick Links

    • Accessibility
    • Freedom of Information and Privacy
    • Terms of Use
    • Sitemap
    • Website Feedback
    • SIMON
  • Connect with Us

View our Twitter Page Twitter

© Copyright 2021 The District Municipality of Muskoka

Designed by eSolutionsGroup

Close Old Browser Notification
Browser Compatibility Notification
It appears you are trying to access this site using an outdated browser. As a result, parts of the site may not function properly for you. We recommend updating your browser to its most recent version at your earliest convenience.