Spot litter? There's an app to report that — and these young Calgarians might clean it up

A group of young Calgarians with the volunteer litter cleanup group Keep the Earth Fresh has created a new app for citizens to report litter in Calgary and beyond.

The data is used to form a heat map, which will help the group figure out which areas they should tackle on their cleanup days. It will also help them understand litter patterns and levels across the globe.

"It's really hard to target where there is more litter. That's something I came across as I'm developing these routes and having volunteers go out to different sites," said founder Angelina Hajji.

This data is especially important now, she says, because the group has been seeing more litter on Calgary streets lately. During a recent cleanup at Prince's Island Park, they picked up 239 pounds of litter, she says.

"It could be a factor of Calgary becoming more populated. It could be a factor of the city not having as many resources to target these areas or not understanding where it is, and I think that's another reason why the app will be super useful."

Hajji worked on the Keep the Earth Fresh app with other volunteers, Ronny Maichle and Ali Mohsen.

It isn't just relevant in Calgary, says Hajji. So far, it's been downloaded across Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Spain and the United Arab Emirates.

Hajji says the group's goal is to collaborate with similar organizations and governing bodies across the globe to find ways to target litter together.

Phase 2 of the app, which is expected to launch in the next six months, will include a feature where citizens can join or start cleanups on the app, says Hajji.

"That way, citizens can connect with each other everywhere in the world to come together so they can actually do more litter cleanups and so they don't have to feel alone when they're doing it."

'You can't manage what you can't measure'

It's exciting news for Dan Shugar, an associate professor and director of the environmental science program at the University of Calgary.

He says he often works with students who are concerned about the state of the world but struggle to figure out how to make a difference.

"It was really neat to see this group of young Calgarians take the bull by the horns and come up with a way that they could actually make a difference in our local community right here," said Shugar.

Shugar sees bigger potential for the app.

"A saying we've got is, 'You can't manage what you can't measure.'"

When more people input data and litter patterns emerge, Shugar would like to see those insights used to target larger-scale initiatives to prevent litter accumulation, he says.

Streamlining city's reporting process

In Calgary, individuals are encouraged to contact 311 to report or make a complaint about littered areas.

Hajji is trying to change that.

"I would really love to work with the city to implement this as a way for citizens to actually report litter and streamline the process," she said.

Coun. Evan Spencer, who represents Ward 12, says while the city has the purview of most public spaces, he's a big believer in people working together to address these issues.

"311 struggles a bit right now, particularly around engagement, the back-and-forth conversation," said Spencer.

"If this app allows for some organizing and getting the word out about how we can collectively work together, I think that's a big improvement."

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