Help make a difference in your community this fall! Join thousands of volunteers across Ottawa to keep our city clean and green by participating in the Cleaning the Capital Fall Campaign.
Register your litter cleanup project by October 2 and then get cleaning between September 15 and October 15.
Pick up your cleanup kit
Standard cleanup kits for groups with fewer than 100 participants will be available for pickup at participating City facilities from September 4 to October 11, 2026. Each kit includes large gloves and garbage bags. A limited number of children’s kits (suitable for groups of up to 20 participants), will also be available for pickup.
For school groups and other groups with 100 or more participants, staff will prepare custom cleanup kits just for you which include the appropriate number of gloves and garbage bags.
Leave the leaves!
Did you know that fallen leaves provide overwintering shelter for many species of butterflies and bees? Leaves should be left in open spaces that are maintained by the City, including parks, and in all naturalized and natural areas.
How to dispose of collected waste/litter or request a pickup
Please review the Cleaning the Capital webpage for instructions on how to dispose of your collected waste/litter or how to request a garbage pickup at the cleanup project site.
New for Fall 2026: Registered participants can request garbage pickup at the project site (park or greenspace, roadside, shoreline, or bus stop cleanups) when submitting the online cleanup report form.
A reminder that Cleaning the Capital does not provide special pickups at residential curbsides for collected waste/litter.
Submit your online cleanup report by November 1st
Cleanup reports help us collect important program data and provide you with an opportunity to share feedback about the program. Please submit your online cleanup report by November 1!
High school students: Complete your volunteer hours!
Cleaning the Capital is a flexible opportunity for high school students to earn their volunteer hours. Students can register up to 3 cleanup projects and earn up to 12 community involvement hours (maximum of 4 hours per project). To learn more, visit Student volunteer hours.
For more information or to register, visit the Cleaning the Capital webpage.