A social media post reminding residents to pick up litter garnered over 800 comments—but the photo wasn’t actually from the weekend.
The City of Mississauga posted a photo of a large amount of garbage left behind in a picnic shelter.
“Long weekends should leave memories, not garbage,” the Aug. 4 post reads. “Every year, litter and illegally dumped waste are left behind in parks and green spaces. Not only can dumping result in penalties, but cleanup costs are paid for with taxpayer dollars.”
The post on Facebook had over 800 comments by Wednesday.
“Send the bill to the person that booked that spot,” one person said.
“Can we not just take our own garbage home???? That’s what I would have done,” another said.
But the photo was posted as “a general reminder encouraging residents to dispose of waste properly and help keep Mississauga clean,” a City of Mississauga spokesperson told INsauga.com.
“It was not issued in response to a specific littering or illegal dumping incident from the weekend,” the spokesperson said.
In fact, there weren’t many complaints related to waste on the weekend.
Based on city service-request data, there were five litter and illegal dumping service requests recorded over the Civic long weekend from Aug. 1 to Aug. 3 relating to private property and adjacent land, the spokesperson said.
The reports included concerns about debris, tires, grass clippings and litter around a mailbox, which were on the municipal right-of-way, he said.
Residents and property owners are responsible for disposing of waste properly and keeping properties clean, the city said in the Facebook post.
“Individuals who litter or dump waste illegally may be subject to enforcement action, including fines, and cleanup related costs where compliance has not been achieved,” the spokesperson said. “Groups that rent park spaces are responsible for cleaning up after their gathering. If the City is required to remove waste or restore the site following a rental, the permit holder may be charged for the associated cleanup costs.”
The City of Mississauga’s Facebook post on litter had nearly 900 comments by Wednesday afternoon.
For more information about Mississauga’s litter campaign, see the website here.
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