Thank you to everyone who participated in our litter clean-up:
Aaron, Ace, Alan, Andrew M., Andrew W., Angel, Angela, Anna, Apurva, Art, Ashley, Athena, Baran, Berton, Boxiang, Brendan, Charlene, Chiraz, Chris, Connie, Cove, Daisy, Dan, Dasom, Donny, Eli, Elliott, Eloina, Emily, Emilia, Eric, Etsuko, Fontana, Geoffrey, Giselle, Grant, Hanh, Hanshu, Ian, Iona, Jacqueline, James, Jane, Jinhe, Jisong, Joshua, Ka Wing, Kaho, Kara, Karine, Keiko, Kelly S., Kelly R., Kevin, Kian, Kushal, Landon, Liana, Liuliang, Lorah, Marcus, Matthew, Mei, Mihika, Ming Yan, Montserrat, Morcet, Nathan, Navjot, Nobu, Pei Yi, Philip, Pilar, Prateek, Qihao, Rachel, George, Refu, Ron, Ruhao, Ryan, Ryuichi, Sandy, Sarah, Steve, Tatiana, Vivi, Wing Ling, Xuejiali, Yaxin, Yicheng, Yik Pin, Lynne, Yoori, Yutong, Yuying, Zhenze, & Zhiyi!
Thank you to our volunteer Litter Leaders who played a vital role in leading this community clean-up:
Kurtis, Andrew, & Lena!
A beautiful sunny morning saw the community come together for our final litter cleanup of the year in Burnaby! Participants connected with each other, learned about litter, and aimed to break 1,500 pounds of litter removed in total this year from Burnaby’s streets & green spaces!
Read more about the amazing day we had below!
Impacts
- 102 community members were engaged!
- 46 participants cleaned up litter for the first time
- 78 participants visited the Cameron Elementary School for the first time
- 46 participants cleaned up litter for the first time
- This was our final litter cleanup for 2025! We tackled every quadrant of Burnaby this year, read about our other cleanups below!
- We also ran a cleanup in this neighbourhood last year, read about our 2024 Cameron Cleanup here!
- Community members joined us from across the Lower Mainland, with most from Burnaby, but others also joining from Vancouver, Surrey, Port Coquitlam, Richmond, Coquitlam, 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!
- 328 hours were contributed towards keeping litter out of streets, waterways and ecosystems to create a cleaner, healthier community!
- 603 pounds of litter were removed from our sidewalks, parks, roadsides, and green spaces!
- Over 10,000 pieces of litter were tracked and removed including:
- 7,396 cigarette butts
- 1,112 food wrappers
- 574 bits of paper & cardboard
- 342 plastic bags
- 225 cups & lids
- 265 pieces of glass
- 100 bottles & cans
- 55 items of clothing/shoes
- 10 pieces of electronics
- 105 pieces of metal
- 65 pieces of styrofoam
- and more!
- Some interesting finds included:
- Several Shopping Carts
- A Pogo Stick
- Eyeless Stuffed Bear
- Bedframe & headboard
- Wiring/Cables
- Broken Bike
- An iPhone
- Clothes Rack
- Camera
- Shower Head
- Briefcase
Highlights
- This was the fourth and final litter cleanup we ran in partnership with the City of Burnaby this summer! After today’s activity, we cleaned up 1,926 pounds of trash in Burnaby in total this year!
- Our volunteer Litter Leaders Andrew, Kurtis, & Lena did a wonderful job guiding and supporting community members in this litter cleanup! We couldn’t have done it without them! Interested in helping as a Litter Leader yourself? Find more information here!
- This was also the very first activity for our new Program Assistant, Simryn, who had a great time helping to lead our group! Welcome to the team, Simryn!
- New connections & friendships were created as participants worked together taking care of this community!
- Delicious snacks including a sharp cheddar & caramel kettle corn, churro chickpea puffs, brownies, carrots, cucumbers, and more were devoured at our break!
- We learned so much tracking the litter we picked up using our litter tracker app created by one of our own community members, Chris!
- Did you know that most stormwater runoff drains are unfiltered as they flow into our streams and rivers? Picking up this litter on an urban street helped to protect not only our vital urban waterways but even our oceans far away!
- 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!
- Thanks to Lynne who brought members of the Vancouver International Volunteer Association to join us today and have been regular supporters of these cleanups!
- Thanks to Ryan, Ace, Connie, Steve, & Eli who all stayed late to help pack up our supplies & clean up after the activity!
- Thanks as well to Andrew who brought several members of the 7th Southwest Burnaby Cub Scouts to volunteer with us!
- Thanks to a group from Volunteer Burnaby for spreading the word and joining us today supporting yet another cleanup this summer!
- Shoutout to Nathan who has started a volunteering club at his local high school, the Charles Best Volunteer Visionaries Club, and brought members to attend!
- Many community members thanked us while walking by or cheered us on by honking as they drove past!
- And a big thank you to everyone who joined us at any of our four cleanups this summer for the time, effort, and dedication you all put in to building a stronger community, making a difference within it, and helping to protect our environment!
What Community Members Said
Video of Andrew, talking about the great opportunities these litter cleanups have been for his Scouts & Cubs and what they learn!
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 John for co-leading this activity, picking up large garbage items, and bringing 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, and bath bombs with natural ingredients, sustainable packaging, and made in Canada! Our participants were really happy to take these gifts home!
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, and Ashton Kerr, the Lower Mainland Green Team’s Partnerships Manager, and Simryn Dhensaw, our new Lower Mainland Green Team Program Assistant led this activity together!