Thank you to everyone who participated in our litter clean-up:
Adrian, Alef Zayn, Alex, Alfred, Amos, Andrew, Ann, Anna, Art, Athena, Avril, Brian, Chau Man, Chenyu, Christine, Connie L., Connie S., Cyrus, DaiBin, Dayna, Elaine, Emma, Gabriella, George, Gerlinde, Gigi, Gordon, Hailey, Haoran, Hong Nee, Ian, Jacqueline, James, Jerry, Jiekai, Jiwon, Joyce, Kayo, Keitaro, King Pan, Kosei, Kun, Laura, Liana, Lillian, Lorah, Lorna, Lynn, Marieva, Mark, Matt, Maureen, Mutsumi, Navjot, Pedriemar, Pin-Yu, Ray, Ria, Councillor Richard T. Lee, Rieneil, Rintaro, Ryan, Selina, Shawn, Supna, Se Hang, Tanisha, Thaeter, Tony, Towfiq, Vickie, Vivi, Warouj, Wendy, Xiaohua, Zhu, Emily, Andy, Ivy, Cathy, Tina, Hwe Jen, Fu-Hsing, Feifan, Kun, Fan, Jack, Anne, Amy, Yi-bo, Amy, Vicky, Li, and Luo!
Thank you to our volunteer Litter Leaders who played a vital role in leading this community clean-up:
Jan, Gary, Kurtis, & Andrew!
Participants of all ages and backgrounds came together for the second of four litter cleanups in Burnaby this year
to connect with one another and make a positive environmental impact!
Impacts
- 103 community members were engaged
- 34 participants cleaned up litter for the first time
- 34 participants visited the Bonsor Recreation Complex for the first time
- 34 participants cleaned up litter for the first time
- Community members joined us from across the Lower Mainland, with a majority from Burnaby, but others also joining from Coquitlam, Vancouver, Surrey, Richmond, Maple Ridge, Langley, and Port Moody!
- Our activities are designed to foster a sense of community that extends beyond municipal borders. By engaging community members from across the region, we are reminded that we are part of a larger, interconnected community and have a shared responsibility of creating a cleaner, healthier environment regardless of where we call home!
- 327 hours were contributed towards keeping litter out of streets, waterways and ecosystems to create a cleaner, healthier community!
- 324 lbs of litter was removed from our sidewalks, parks, roadsides, and green spaces!
- Over 8,000 pieces of litter were tracked and removed including:
- 5,507 cigarette butts
- 1031 food wrappers
- 506 bits of paper & cardboard
- 303 plastic bags
- 236 cups & lids
- 168 pieces of glass
- 143 bottles & cans
- 32 items of clothing/shoes
- 19 pieces of electronics
- 113 pieces of metal
- 93 pieces of styrofoam
- and more!
- Some interesting finds included:
- Golf Club
- Armchair
- a Lightbulb Moment!
- Smiling Emoji Ball
- Toy Shark
- Chef’s Knife
- A big pile of confetti
- Fake Tree
- Vacuum Cleaner
- A Mussel
- Half a watermelon
- Books
Highlights
- This was our second of four litter cleanups we’re running in partnership with the City of Burnaby this summer! After today’s activity, we’ve cleaned up over 630lbs of trash so far this year!
- Burnaby Councillor Richard T. Lee joined us and shared his appreciation to everyone for coming together to take care of the community!
- A heartfelt thanks to Mayor Hurley for his ongoing support of our partnership with the City of Burnaby’s Engineering and Planning departments. His commitment to community wellness and environmental initiatives truly make a difference in Burnaby!
- Our volunteer Litter Leaders, Jan, Gary, Andrew, and Kurtis did a wonderful job guiding and supporting community members in this litter cleanup!
- New friendships were created as participants worked side-by-side taking care of this community!
- See how our other Litter Clean-ups with the City of Burnaby have gone!
- Imagine the impacts if each person who joined us adopted their street or block!
- Learn more about and join the City of Burnaby’s Adopt a Street Program
- Don’t live in Burnaby? Many municipalities and organizations have Adopt-a-Street or Adopt-a-Block programs. Reach out to your local municipality to learn about options where you live!
- Inspired by last year’s cleanup at Bonsor, Alef Zayn got their own litter picker and has been cleaning up parks and his neighbourhood ever since, making an awesome impact, and he joined us again this year!
- Connie, Kurtis, Jan, Gary, Andrew and Ryan helped pack up our vehicle with all the supplies at the end! Thank you so much for your help!
- Thanks as well to Emily who brought 18 community members from Buddha’s Light International Association’s (BLIA) Burnaby subchapter!
- Thanks to Alfred who spread the word and brought out members of Volunteer Burnaby to participate today!
- A shoutout to Kevin for all his help supporting the leader of his group!
- Delicious snacks including a spicy fava bean mix, veggie tempura crisps, brownies, cucumbers and more were devoured at our break!
- We enjoyed tracking the litter we picked up using our litter tracker app created by one of our own community members, Chris!
What Community Members Said
Video of Ria, talking about being a part of everyone making a difference to help make the earth green & clean!
Video of Chiraz, talking about having a great time cleaning the neighbourhood, connecting with community, and keeping the city beautiful!
Video of Alfred, talking about the experience of his volunteers from Volunteer Burnaby having fun while doing something important for the community!
Community Investment Partner
THANK YOU to the City of Burnaby’s Engineering Department for being a Community Investment Partner and providing support on the day, funds and direction to make this activity possible!
In particular, a BIG thank you to Zac for all his work in helping to organize this activity alongside us and to both him and Colin for co-leading this activity, picking up large garbage items, and bringing Timbits and donuts for community members to enjoy!
Working together with the City of Burnaby promotes environmental stewardship, fosters a strong sense of belonging and shared responsibility among residents.
In-kind Support
A big thank you to our in-kind supporters!
Lush provided their fantastic shower gels, body conditioner, bath bombs, with natural ingredients, sustainable packaging, and made in Canada! Our participants were really happy to take these gifts home!
Green Beaver for providing their amazing 100% natural maple lip balm for community participants to take home. Green Beaver has great made in Canada products working to help people access a natural and healthier lifestyle, while contributing to a more sustainable world!
If you’re interested in contributing in-kind or have ideas for potential partnerships, please contact Ashton Kerr. Your support makes a difference!
Why We Do This Work
The Lower Mainland Green Team is a program of the charity Green Teams of Canada.
We believe in the transformative power of hands-on environmental activities to empower individuals and strengthen communities.
Through initiatives like invasive plant removals, tree plantings, and litter clean-ups, we not only foster connections among participants but also deepen their relationship with nature. Spending time outdoors has been shown to reduce stress and anxiety while enhancing mood, focus, and overall mental and physical health.
Our activities are designed to be inclusive, welcoming individuals of all backgrounds, ages, abilities, and skill levels.
What sets us apart is we attract a wide mix of young community members who may not otherwise spend time outside, igniting their passion for nature and environmental care.
We are committed to instilling an environmental ethic that leads to lasting behaviour change. We aim to create a sense of belonging and connection to place, encouraging participants to recognize their ability to make a meaningful impact.
Together, we can all make a difference. Join us as we build a brighter, greener future for everyone!
Staff Who Made This Activity Happen!
Our staff work hard to run high-quality community activities. Outreach, activity logistics, social media, reporting on impacts, partnership building and more – they do it all!
Max Muehlen, our Lower Mainland Green Team’s Program Manager, Ashton Kerr, the Lower Mainland Green Team’s Partnerships Manager, and Heather Rawling, our new Greater Victoria Green Team Program Manager, all led this activity together!