Environment and Sustainability

The Town of Whitby has made a commitment to environmental sustainability for the benefit of our community. View the sustainability initiatives the Town has to offer, including green development standard.

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Corporate Sustainability Plan

In order to ensure Whitby addresses all areas of sustainability, we've developed a Corporate Sustainability Plan. This Plan follows the One Planet Living Framework; an international framework that consists of ten simple principles to ensure we address all aspects of sustainability including social, environmental and economic sustainability.

Each year, we write a report to assess how we are doing to meet the goals outlined in the Corporate Sustainability Plan:

Nature, Trees and Greenscaping

Nature provides important environmental, social and economic benefits. These benefits include cleaning the air we breathe, helping us fight climate change and beautifying our community. Review our programs that help best maintain and protect these natural assets:

Pollinators

Approximately 75% of all flowering plants depend on bees and other pollinators. Canada is home to over 1,000 species of pollinators, but these populations are threatened by:

The depletion of natural areas
Pesticide use
Climate change

Bees aren't the only pollinators that need our help. Other pollinators include:

Butterflies
Hummingbirds
Moth
Beetles
Bats

Find out how the Town of Whitby is helping protect pollinators in our community.

Pollinator gardens

To help increase habitat for pollinator species, we are committed to planting native plants to diversify the existing pollinator habitat across the community. Pollinator Gardens and meadows can be found using The Whitby Geohub.

Whitby as a Bee City

The Town of Whitby is a designated Bee City. This is awarded to municipalities that make a declaration to protect pollinators and their habitat through action and education.

Urban Beehive

The Town of Whitby has installed an urban beehive on the rooftop of Town Hall thanks to support from Elexicon Energy. This beehive demonstrates the Town's commitment to protecting local pollinators.

Elexicon Energy Logo

Mayors Monarch Pledge

The Town of Whitby has taken the Mayors Monarch Pledge through the National Wildlife Federation to help protect monarch butterflies. By taking the Mayor's Monarch Pledge, Whitby has committed to both restoring habitat in the community and encouraging and education citizens on how they can help.

Sustainable Transportation

Transportation is the largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions and poor air quality. In order to reduce this impact the Town is committed to encouraging to the transition to more sustainable modes of transportation. Learn more about our sustainable transportation initiatives:

Electric vehicle charging stations

In 2024, the Town of Whitby has installed 15 electric vehicle charging stations at the following locations:

Green St. Parking / Whitby Municipal Lot #5
Brooklin Community Centre & Library
Centennial Building / 1855
McKinney Centre
Operations Centre
Civic Recreation Complex
Iroquois Park Sports Centre
Town Hall
Whitby Marina

To support the operation of these charging stations the Town will be developing policies including:

Electric Vehicle Parking By-Law
Electric Vehicle Workplace Policy
Education program

Waste, Litter and Recycling

The Town of Whitby provides curbside residential waste collection services to Whitby residents. This includes garbage, green bin organics, yard waste, and a special collection program for bulky items, metal goods, porcelain and electronic waste .

The Town is also committed to keep the community clean, litter free and promote the reduction of waste. Programs to support this goal includes:

How You Can Get Involved

You can help reduce the consumption of waste in your community with these impactful, yet simple tips:

Do not purchase products that are packaged in single-use plastics or look for products with less packaging and/or can be recycled.
Avoid using single-use plastic items such as food and drink containers and utensils.
Use reusable alternatives like cloth bags, bottles and mugs.
Compost.
Buy secondhand items and donate used goods.
Participate in a community cleanup or consider adopting a public space.
Spread the word about the benefits of reducing waste.

Local Food

Whitby is dedicated to supporting local food opportunities. By supporting local food we can become more self sufficient as well as support local farmers and increase access to healthy food. Check out our local food initiatives and find out how you can participate:

Climate Change and Extreme Weather

The Town of Whitby has declared a climate emergency and is working to develop policy to combat climate change. Review our climate change and extreme weather plans, reports and initiatives and learn more.

Water Quality, Storm Management And Flooding

Whitby delivers a number of initiatives to improve and maintain the health of our natural waterways as well as helping to protect our natural water based hazards:

Flooding
Stormwater management ponds
Source water protection

Get involved

There are a variety of ways that you can get involved in our commitment to environmental sustainability.

Whitby Sustainability Advisory Committee

Join Whitby's Sustainability Advisory Committee (WSAC), which promotes sustainability, supports environmental management and responds to climate change. This committee is a great way to get involved and help us reach our sustainable goals as a community.

Community Events

Earth Hour
Earth Day
National Pollinator week
National Forests Week
Waste Reduction Week

Adopt A Park, Trail Or Road

Help keep our community clean through our Adopt a Park or Trail and Adopt a Road programs. Learn more and find out how you can get involved.

Memberships And Affiliations

The Town of Whitby belongs to a variety of environment and sustainability programs and initiatives. Explore our memberships and affiliations: