As part of the Floatable Waste Collaborative Action in Lake Ontario and Toronto’s Inner Harbour, this is a community science event aimed at categorizing waste collected from the waterfront. In addition to interactive outreach displays from organizations and collaborators of the Toronto Inner Harbour Floatables Strategy, the event will include a “Trash Trap Dive”.

This is a hands-on opportunity to participate in the Fighting Floatables waste characterization protocol for trash traps and learn about local sources of plastic pollution. During the Trash Trap Dive, the U of T Trash Team research team will demonstrate their waste characterization protocol and invite members of the public to observe and/or participate. Throughout the event, there will also be educational info tables hosted by the U of T Trash Team, Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, Swim Drink Fish, and a Greener Future.

Last year, the University of Toronto (U of T) Trash Team’s Fighting Floatables program removed 642 kg of plastic pollution from the Toronto Harbour, including more than 100,000 small pieces of plastic. By monitoring plastic pollution and other anthropogenic debris captured by trash traps, we’re better able to understand the issue and inform local solutions upstream.

By attending this event you’ll have the unique opportunity to:

• Learn about floatable litter and the types of plastic pollution we find in Lake Ontario.

• Get hands-on experience with our team of Fighting Floatables researchers and learn how we characterize all sizes of plastic pollution collected by trash traps.

• Learn how trash trap data informs upstream solutions to prevent plastic pollution we find downstream.

• Meet organizations of the Toronto Inner Harbour Floatables Strategy and learn more about our collective work at info tables throughout the event.