Courtesy of Anthea Mason Mission to Move Forward clear syringes to keep the community safe
Courtesy of Anthea Mason
Ptarmigan Village
Courtesy of Anthea Mason Mission to Move Forward clear syringes to keep the community safe
In 2022, MESS Volunteers picked up a staggering
20,272 lbs of litter from our streets, streams, trails, and parks.
Reducing and preventing littering and illegal dumping takes work, and its only through the tens of thousands of hours dedicated by Mission residents that we are able to do this. Each year, MESS volunteers give over 38, 000 hours of their time picking up, sorting, and responsibly disposing of waste dropped or dumped in our environment. There are many ways we can tackle this issue but we need your help. Keep reading to learn about fun and innovative ways you can help keep Mission clean.
STEWARDSHIP IN MISSION, BC
STEWARDSHIP CAMPAIGNS
We want to hear from you! Respond to each campaign by clicking on the picture!
BUTTS ARE MESSY
And we don't like seeing them all over town! Municipal receptacles and park bins can be used to discard cigarette butts. Portable ashtrays are another great solution. Flicked butts cause hundreds of fires a year in Canada.
Can we create a butt-free Mission?
FACE THE FINES
Mission is a river-side community and as such all our littered and dumped waste potentially reaches the Fraser River and becomes a global issue.
Polluters face potential fines of up to $500 on the spot.
$5 landfill fee or $500 fine. Does that speak to you?
PLASTIC DISASTER
"More than 8 million tonnes of plastic is dumped in our oceans every year"* Mission businesses are helping reduce this by encouraging the use of reusable bags.
Can we eliminate plastic bags in Mission stores?
*Based on research conducted by Plastic Oceans
ONE TIME CLEANUPS
Contact us to arrange a One Time Clean-up in your neighbourhood!
One Time Clean-ups are a great way to tackle highly littered areas with a concentrated effort. Often, neighbourhood groups, schools, families, or concerned individuals will join forces for a single day to address a mess.
Great annual events to do a One Time Clean-up include:
Earth Day
BC Rivers Day
Spring Clean-up week
Great Canadian Shoreline Clean-up
Arranging a One Time Clean-up:
1. Contact MESS to inform us of the area you are
considering
2. Let us know how many volunteers you have
3. Arrange a time for equipment pick-up and drop-off
Looking for something a little different?
Other ways you can help:
Volunteer at events
Send in photos
Contribute to our blog or newsletter
Collect data
Become a highway volunteer
REFORMING RUBBISH
LOOKING FOR CREATIVE LITTER SOLUTIONS IN YOUR NEIGHBOURHOOD?
Check out these innovative approaches to reducing rubbish right in our backyard and around the world to take action and spread awareness.
Litter is a global issue with a local solution.
BBC: A Giant Mass of Plastic Waste Taking Over the Ocean
A giant mass of waste was found accumulating in the Caribbean and we all need to know about it. In Canada, approximately 2.4 billion litres of water is purchased annually. How are we adding to this problem?
Green Coast Rubbish
Cigarette Recycling in Vancouver
Did you know that cigarettes are the most littered item in the world? Check out this article by Green Coast Rubbish to read about what Vancouver has done to reduce cigarette buds.
Article on Canada’s microbead ban
Microbeads have officially been declared toxic substances under the Environmental Protection act. These tiny plastic beads are found in facial cleaners, body washes and other common personal care products. Read this CBC article about how you can reduce the amount of microbeads that are released out into the environment.
Scotland’s ‘Dirty Little Secret’ Campaign
Interested in how other countries control litter? Read this article on how Leith a Scottish advertising agency has created a tongue-in-cheek campaign to educate and change attitudes towards littering in public. The campaign features short films that will be made available through cinemas, tv as well as social media. The website also provides a section for individuals to share their own dirty little secrets which will be uploaded to the ‘Wall of Shame’.
Genius Solid Shampoos Use No Plastic Packaging By Leaving Out Water
Looking for ways to reduce your environmental impact? Read about how one company has substituted the use of plastic with biodegradable packages. The skin care company Ethique has also created water saving dry shampoos and conditioners.
A Photographer Collected Four Years Worth Of Trash To Show Just How Wasteful Humans Can Be
Take a look at this article featured in the Huffington post, about how one artist uses four years of garbage to show the waste humans create. The article contains figures about how much garbage is produced by humans as well as photos taken by Antoine Repesse.
“We’re often told about the quantity of waste we produce, but I think the impact of pictures can be much powerful than words,” Antoine Repessé explains.
Litter Control Campaign Links
Don’t Mess With Texas
Texas has a high profile “Anti-Littering Campaign” – including a high profile advertising campaign with celebrities such as Willie Nelson, George Strait, Randy White, and George Foreman, and many more. See their awesome litter control posters, litter studies and more.
No Butts About it – Litter Campaign
Three kids started a campaign to put an end to the amount of cigarette litter on the streets – see what they are doing to encourage others to “Butt Out”
PITCH-IN Canada
PITCH-IN CANADA is a national non-profit and charitable organization to which more than 3.5 million volunteers participate in thousands of projects each year, with a shared interest to improve communities and the environment.