Gamifying litter cleanup: How a new initiative in Ontario is turning trash into cash | Globalnews.ca (2025)

An Ontario environmental charity is the first in North America to partner with an app that gamifies helping the environment.

Georgian Bay Forever, an environmental charity that works to conserve, protect and restore the aquatic ecosystems of Georgian Bay, has partnered with LitterLotto, an app that offers users the chance to win money by cleaning up litter.

While organizers say the app can be used anywhere for the chance to win a global cash prize of £500 (roughly $900)a month, Georgian Bay Forever is offering prizes for local cleanup efforts.

Those who pick up garbage locally can be entered in a draw to win $50 a week, or the £500 monthly global prize.

Using the app, people only need take pictures of themselves picking up trash outside and disposing of it in a public trash can to be entered for a chance to win. The app also uses artificial intelligence to try to stop people from cheating the system.

“The app is focused on changing people’s behaviour so that they’re more likely to pick up litter when they’re out and about,” said Nicolaas Love, plastics co-ordinator for Georgian Bay Forever.

“Hopefully, it can get people to, instead of walking past that piece of litter on the ground, we’ll actually stop to pick it up with that little added incentive.”

The organization said one of Georgian Bay’s biggest threats is pollution, which is why its programming and education have been heavily focused on identifying actionable ways to reduce litter in nature and change people’s behaviour regarding littering.

Over the last three years, the organization said it has collected an average of around 1,000 pounds of trash a year from Georgian Bay beaches during its shoreline cleanups, most of which is cigarette butts and single-use plastic items.

In addition to the weekly $50 local prize, Georgian Bay Forever said additional prizes, such as gift cards, will be handed out to people who attend their shoreline cleanups.

Love said LitterLotto has led to the collection of more than 25 million pieces of litter worldwide.

Georgian Bay Forever is piloting its partnership with LitterLotto for a year, and the organization said it will re-evaluate its impact at the end of that time to see if it’s worth extending.

The local prize on the app will officially launch on April 27, and as part of the initiative, the organization is holding a local beach cleanup at Wasaga Beach’s Beach 2 to kick things off.

“Protecting our waters from litter that can foul ecosystems, degrade into microplastic, and even snare wildlife is something our community is passionate about,” said David Sweetnam, Georgian Bay Forever’s executive director.

“This reward system is a fun bonus to positively reinforce and incentivize even more action from the public.”