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City of Barrie litter trap program helps protect Lake Simcoe

A LittaTrap diverts litter and pollutants from entering storm drains and Lake Simcoe. (Source: City of Barrie) A LittaTrap diverts litter and pollutants from entering storm drains and Lake Simcoe. (Source: City of Barrie)
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The City of Barrie launched a program to catch litter and pollutants to help protect Lake Simcoe.

In 2019, the City installed one LittaTrap unit in a storm drain in a busy area downtown to test its efficiency and reported the trap collected 473 pieces of garbage over five months.

The City followed up by rolling out another pilot program, installing 112 traps in "litter hotspots" downtown.

This summer, the City says a waste audit revealed the traps caught over 40 pounds of trash and over 600 pounds of sediment or soil from entering the lake.

"The sediment (soil) analysis of the traps showed the amounts of nitrogen, phosphorous, sodium, chloride, and the percentage of organic carbon found," the City noted. Analysis of the sediment determines the nutrients the traps can divert from entering the lake.

The City says it may expand the program to other areas of downtown, including inlet areas.

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