It all began with the announcement I heard on the radio yesterday while driving home. The announcer sounded more sarcastic than encouraging about the Aurora Mayor’s Anti-Litter Day participation.

Today is the Mayor’s Anti-Litter Day, and I’m not sure where to start—there are so many thoughts swirling around in my head.

Let’s begin by focusing on the positive aspects of the Anti-Litter Day event. Any form of awareness is beneficial for the community, the environment, and our children, who are the future generation. It’s important to instill good environmental habits in them.

Kudos to everyone who took part in today’s event!

The Town of Aurora has announced an exciting event on their website! They shared that last year, Aurorans collected 1.94 tonnes (1,940 kilograms) of litter, and they are hoping to collect even more this year (2012).

“Last year, Aurorans collected 1.94 tonnes (1940 kilograms) of litter and we are looking to collect even more in 2012.”

Is more better, you may ask yourself? I asked my husband the same question after the event, before seeing the statement above. I said, I hope that this year, during the event, less garbage will be collected.

Collecting less and less litter during this event would be a positive outcome, as it would mean that the Mayor’s Anti-Litter Day awareness is working. It was rather disappointing to read that the Town of Aurora was looking forward to collecting more litter in 2012.

I may be nitpicking, but I’m sure the intent behind the message was not to be taken that way. Whoever wrote it likely meant that more volunteers would come out to help clean up our town. The more of us there are, the more garbage we can collect.

Another question popped into my mind later on: Are we truly innovative?

I must confess, I didn’t participate in the garbage collection today (I have my reasons). Instead, we visited Town Park to enjoy some activities with Matthew just before lunch. The park was still in the process of setting up for the celebration—food and fun activities were being prepared for volunteers and families. We were fortunate enough to enjoy a few things without having to wait in long lines.

However, due to other commitments, we had to leave before the volunteers arrived for the celebration.

When I saw the blue recycling boxes filled with cans and plastic bottles, the concept of innovation immediately came to mind. It struck me as a truly innovative solution to the issue of waste management. Volunteers dedicated three hours to collecting garbage throughout the town, only to gather in Town Park and generate more waste. It’s a bit ironic.

I believe the purpose of the Anti-Littering Day event goes beyond simply discouraging littering behavior. It serves as a platform to raise awareness about the detrimental impact of littering on the environment as a whole. Educating individuals about the consequences of their actions and encouraging them to take responsibility for preserving our planet is crucial.

Here’s my perspective: to make progress, we must prioritize innovation. Simply repeating the same actions won’t lead to a more sustainable future. It’s imperative that we explore new, effective, and efficient solutions. Additionally, it’s crucial that we educate our youth on the importance of developing positive habits that will benefit both themselves and the environment.

Last year, approximately 2,000 kg of litter was collected during the event. Reflecting on last year’s cleanup, I vividly remember seeing a variety of interesting items piled up in the designated pickup areas. It struck me that, with a bit of creativity, the collected litter could potentially be repurposed into a living space for one person.

Fortunately, this year, no such unusual items were found in the area where I reside. However, if we were to collect a similar weight of litter this year, it would suggest that we’ve gathered a larger quantity of lightweight garbage.

To effectively reduce littering, it’s essential to first identify its sources. One primary contributor is overflowing blue boxes on windy days. Another significant source comes from individuals who irresponsibly discard their waste.

Our blue recycling bin was damaged, likely due to mishandling by the garbage collector. The town has graciously offered to replace our broken bin with a new one. To receive the replacement, simply bring in the damaged bin for an exchange.

We took advantage of this offer and were pleasantly surprised to receive a taller bin in return. Unfortunately, we haven’t had the opportunity to use it yet, as we’re still facing technical difficulties filling up our smaller bin.

A helpful tip for using the new bin: mark a line three inches from the top to indicate the recommended fill height. Make it a habit to never exceed this mark to prevent overfilling.

In the years to come, I envision the Mayor’s Anti-Litter Day becoming more strategic and innovative. My hope is to see a significant reduction in litter on the ground, less litter being collected, and a decrease in litter generation as a direct result of this heightened awareness.

Furthermore, I’m optimistic that next year will bring the opportunity to capture some truly innovative ideas through photography, as this year’s event felt very similar to the previous one.

COMMENTS

Elizabeth said: May 3, 2012 at 14:21

“Anna, you make some good points. I participated in the Mayor’s Anti-Litter Day as part of a team from CleanRiver Recycling Solutions, an Aurora company that manufactures recycling bins from recycled HDPE plastic.

I found it ironic that the organizers chose to serve bottled water during the BBQ when plastic water bottles are amongst the most common items thrown away but not recycled. Our company team picked up dozens of these very bottles in the Aurora Arboretum that day but on my way leaving the BBQ I saw half-full water bottles abandoned all over the park.

I also was very disappointed the Town wasn’t collecting compost at the BBQ (or if they were it wasn’t obvious where it was); I was forced to throw leftover food into a container heading for landfill.

I would love to see a more complete recycling/composting/waste program at the event next year (and perhaps even permanently installed there) so that all three streams of waste accepted by the Town could be collected and if they happened to be CleanRiver Recycling Containers, all the better!

Like you, next year I also hope to see the Town be more creative in their approach. With the number of children in attendance, this year’s event was a missed opportunity to educate kids and families about litter and work towards picking up LESS litter next year.

Elizabeth”