Despite the area enforcing a full smoking ban, cigarettes were still the most frequently caught substance.
In 2019, EnviroPod™ partnered with the City of Hamilton to evaluate the performance of the LittaTrap™ catch basin insert in a low-litter urban environment.
A single LittaTrap™ was installed in a stormwater catch basin outside the Hamilton Waterfront Building on Discovery Drive and monitored over a three-month period from July to September 2019. The objective was to determine whether at-source stormwater treatment could still provide meaningful environmental benefits in a relatively clean, low-traffic location.
Many litter capture programs focus on busy commercial districts and high-traffic streets, where pollutant loading is expected to be greatest. However, municipalities also need practical solutions for lower-risk areas that still discharge directly to local waterways.
The City of Hamilton wanted to understand:
A single EnviroPod™ LittaTrap™ was retrofitted into an existing catch basin at the Hamilton Waterfront Building.
The LittaTrap™ captures gross pollutants greater than 5 mm directly inside the catch basin, preventing litter and debris from entering the underground stormwater network and ultimately Hamilton Harbour and Lake Ontario.
The retrofit required no modification to the existing infrastructure and was easily incorporated into routine maintenance activities.
Although the site experienced relatively low pedestrian and vehicle activity, the trial demonstrated that gross pollutants continue to enter the stormwater system even in cleaner urban environments.
One of the most significant findings was the number of cigarette butts collected.
Despite a smoking ban being enforced around the Hamilton Waterfront Building, cigarette butts accounted for nearly half of all litter captured, highlighting how easily this common pollutant can still enter stormwater systems through wind and surface runoff.
Cigarette filters are among the world's most common forms of litter and are made from plastic cellulose acetate fibres that can persist in the environment for many years.
By capturing cigarette butts and other gross pollutants before they enter the stormwater system, LittaTrap™ helps municipalities:
The Hamilton trial demonstrated that even locations perceived as "clean" can contribute measurable amounts of litter to receiving waters.
Following the success of the pilot, EnviroPod™ has continued working with the City of Hamilton to explore additional LittaTrap™ installations in higher-traffic downtown locations.
By expanding monitoring across a range of urban environments, the City aims to better understand litter generation patterns and identify opportunities to reduce pollution at its source.
