Calling all Canadians to do their part on Earth Day and beyond

With 71 per cent of our planet covered in water, it makes sense to focus on the health of our waterways during Earth Day 2015 — and beyond. The Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup is a great way for Canadians to make a difference all year-round by keeping litter out of our aquatic ecosystems.

Unfortunately, examples of the impact our trash has on our waterways are plentiful: the pygmy sperm whale that washed up in Halifax Harbour last fall with plastic lodged in its stomach; plastics, including microplastics that threaten fish and birds in the Great Lakes; and marine debris entangling sea lions on the B.C. coast, to name only a few.
Action is needed, now more than ever, which is why the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup takes place throughout the year. Registration is online at shorelinecleanup.ca.

Last year the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup mobilized more than 54,000 Canadians at over 1,800 cleanup sites from coast to coast. Volunteers picked up almost 140,000 kilograms of debris — enough trash to fill 70 dump trucks! The most widely collected litter items included: plastic and paper bags, cigarettes/cigarette filters, food wrappers and containers, caps and lids, glass and plastic beverage bottles, beverage cans, disposable flatware, straws/stirrers, tobacco packaging and building materials.
Let’s all be a part of the solution by organizing a cleanup at your local shoreline today! Visit ShorelineCleanup.ca for more information.