Celebrate Earth Week 2024 in Kawartha Lakes by signing up for a 20 Minute Community Clean-Up
Taking care of the environment, being responsible with resources, reducing our footprint and keeping our lakes and rivers clean are shared values across Kawartha Lakes.
Earth Week runs April 21 to 27 and Earth Day is Monday April 22, 2024.
The theme for Earth Day 2024 is “Planet vs Plastics”. This year’s theme emphasizes the planet’s collective need to tackle the plastic crisis head-on, with the bold goal to reduce plastic production by 60% by 2040. Earthday.org is working on the following initiatives to achieve their 60% reduction target:
Raise public awareness about plastic’s harm to all life on Earth
Propose to phase out single-use plastics by 2030
Advocate for policies that aim at combating the environmental impact of fast fashion which relies on the use of synthetic materials made of plastics, such as polyester and nylon
Call for investment in innovative technologies aimed at finding sustainable alternatives to plastics
Visit www.earthday.org to learn more and to find out how you can get involved!
Meanwhile, if you’re looking to make an impact closer to home in your own community, sign yourself or your group of friends and family up for a 20 Minute Community Clean-up in Kawartha Lakes:
20 Minute Community Clean-Ups
Last year was our best community clean-up event yet! All in, over 1600 people participated in clean-ups across Kawartha Lakes. 689 bags full of waste were collected curbside and 715 kilograms of waste were brought to our landfills. Our goal is to beat those numbers this year!
Get together with your neighbours, community group, sports team or family to do a clean-up anytime during Earth Week (April 21 to 27). The municipality will provide clear garbage bags and gloves to participants. Groups or individuals planning a 20-Minute Community Clean Up can register online or in person at any Municipal Service Centre.
The municipality will consult with each group to determine the best method of waste disposal. Tipping fees will be waived for any registered participant that chooses to dump their group's collected garbage at one of our landfills.
Register for a 20 Minute Clean-up Online
If you have any questions or need more information, contact our Customer Service team at 705-324-9411, or email issues@kawarthalakes.ca.
Have you heard of our Adopt-A-Road program?
20 Minute Community Clean-ups are great, and they will go a long way in helping clean up the post-winter litter and waste around the municipality. But if you’re looking to make a slightly bigger commitment that will have a much larger impact in the community, you should check out our Adopt-A-Road program!
The Kawartha Lakes’ Adopt-A-Road program was established as a public service program for volunteers to enhance local litter collection activities by picking litter up along municipal road Right-of-Ways. It is a way for environmentally conscious groups and individuals to contribute to a cleaner and more beautiful municipal road system.
Here’s how the program works:
Volunteers agree to collect litter two times per year, once in the spring and once in the fall for a period of three years on a designated area of road
The municipality supplies volunteers with garbage bags and authorization to dispose of the waste collected free of charge once in the spring and once in the fall
Supply their own safety vests, gloves, and appropriate footwear and ensure they are worn at all times and any additional appropriate safety apparel is also worn during the pick-up
Registration for the program must be completed prior to your group's clean-up events. Please allow up to 10 business days for staff to process new applications to the program
Waivers are also required to be signed by each volunteer prior to each clean-up event. Once registered, volunteer groups must provide the municipality with two-days notice prior to each clean-up event. The group representative must confirm that each volunteer present has signed the waiver and that the waiver has been filed with the municipality prior to the event date
The municipality will erect a sign along the designated road recognizing the volunteer group responsible for cleaning up that part of the road
For more information about the program or to apply to participate, please contact us at 705-324-9411 or email adoptaroad@kawarthalakes.ca.
Other ways to get involved:
2024 Bee A Hero Garden Challenge
Scientists are ringing the alarm bells that our native pollinators are disappearing at an unprecedented rate. One-third of all the food we eat is thanks to their amazing pollination services and it’s important that we provide them with habitats where they can thrive. You can “Bee A Hero” this Spring/Summer and help these essential critters by creating a pollinator habitat in your own backyard, farm or balcony.
The contest will return in Summer 2024. All you'll need to do to enter is take a ‘before’ picture of your garden or container prior to it being planted. Take an ‘after’ picture once it has grown and then submit your entry when the Bee A Hero form re-opens this summer. Both existing and new gardens can enter. Winners will be chosen at the end of the summer. For more information, including tips and tricks on how to create the best possible pollinator friendly garden, visit the Bee City page on our website.
2023 Environmental Hero Awards
This spring the Kawartha Lakes Environmental Advisory Committee (KLEAC) will be looking for nominations for the 2023 Environmental Hero Awards. Each year, KLEAC recognizes individuals (Environmental Hero), businesses (Environmental Business Hero) and students (Environmental Student Hero) living in Kawartha Lakes who have shown a commitment to improving the health of the environment.
Winners will receive a certificate from the Mayor and their project will be included in a KLEAC presentation to Council. If you know any person or business deserving of the honour, be sure to nominate them once the nomination forms are live! For more details, including award criteria, head to the Environment page on our website: www.kawarthalakes.ca/environment.
