The City of St. John's is looking at ways of getting rid of litter on downtown streets, including refuse left behind by late-night bar-hoppers.

The city currently picks up litter on downtown streets through its morning crew, which means that garbage that accumulates thereafter — including near bars on George Street and elsewhere — will stay there until the next cleanup.

Coun. Danny Breen says St. John's city council is looking at ways of making downtown streets tidier. (CBC )

Coun. Danny Breen says the city, which has been struggling for years with a litter problem, is looking at changes, including both new equipment and a change in time for cleanups.

"We're also going to be talking to the downtown St. John's group [of] downtown businesses about adding a second handcart coverage for the evening," Breen said.

"Most of [the current work] happens in the day and early afternoon, so maybe we need something happening around supper time, maybe into the early morning," he said.

On George Street, individual bar owners are responsible for pickup of their own garbage, although the city itself cleans the street.

Seamus O'Keefe, executive director of the George Street Association, said a shift change for cleanup would be a real improvement.

"Late night or early morning. If we could get something of that kind of schedule," O'Keefe told CBC News, adding that cleanup now happens "usually in the early morning, but not that early."

O'Keefe noted that bar owners are not traditional businesses, "so we need a service that reflects the nature of our businesses."

At its public meeting Monday, city council pondered adding two new machines to complement the one the city now has.

Breen estimates the cost of the additional litter-busting would run between $60,000 and $70,000.