Cleaning the Capital 2023

Spring is on its way and the Cleaning the Capital Spring Campaign will proceed with registration starting March 15th, and cleanup projects taking place between April 15 and May 31.

What is Cleaning the Capital?

The Cleaning the Capital campaign is a citywide cleanup that occurs in the spring and fall of every year. Residents come together as a community and combine efforts to make our city clean and green. Litter pickup projects must be registered, and participating teams, upon request, receive a cleanup starter kit to assist them with their projects. 

2023 marks the 30th year of the Cleaning the Capital Program! The annual cleanup campaign first began in 1994 as a springtime cleanup. In 2006, due to the spring campaign's overwhelming success an annual fall campaign was added. Since 1994, more than 1.6 million volunteers have participated in nearly 30,000 cleanup projects throughout the city. As a result, an estimated 1,350,000 kilograms of waste has been removed from our public spaces. 

The Cleaning the Capital Program is not-for-profit initiative and relies heavily on the generosity of sponsors who offer financial and in-kind support. Cleaning the Capital is an exciting way for residents to foster community pride by cleaning up their parks, bus stops, woodlots, ravines, shorelines and pathways, while enjoying the outdoors and ensuring that Ottawa stays clean, green, and litter-free.

What is included in a cleanup kit?

Cleanup Starter Kits include: Nitrile gloves, garbage bags, and recycling bags. Please note, Cleaning the Capital staff are no longer distributing leaf and yard waste bags.

Cleanup starter kits are designed to get you started on your project and our generous sponsors donate the supplies. While we cannot provide unlimited supplies to volunteers, we will do our very best to ensure that you have enough supplies to complete your project. Cleanup starter kits are individually packed for each project team based on the number of volunteers you have registered.

Student volunteer hours

Cleaning the Capital is a great opportunity for high school students to get a head start on their Community Involvement Program volunteer hours.   Students must simply: 

• Register their cleanup online during the campaign.

• Complete their cleanup project.

• Submit their online cleanup report prior to the submission deadline.

Students will receive a confirmation of their community involvement hours via email. If you have any questions, please contact cleaning@ottawa.ca