Thank you to everyone who participated in our litter clean-up:
Adrian, Aidan, Alef Zayn, Alex, Alfred, Amos, Amy, Ana, Andrew W., Andrew S., Andrew M., Angel Pui Ming, Anna, Art, Ashley, Athena, Audrey, Barkat, Benny, Carol, Changle, Chi Thanh, Christine, Connie, Duc Chi, Eliska, Ella, Emilia, Etsuko, Evan, Florian, Gabriella, George, Grace, Hong, Hubert, Indira, Ivy, Jacky, Jacqueline, James W., Councillor James Wang, Jayden, Jenny, Jessica, Jessie, Julia, Kelsey, Kimran, Laurintus, Lenita, Lynn, Mei Tak, Michele, Mikayla, Nobu, Philip, Rayen, Ryan, Samantha, Sandy, Sarah, Shawn T., Shawn Y., Sherman, Sigrid, Sohel, Steve, Tatiana, Tiffany, Tina, Ivy, Ye, Elyn, Lynne, Zahida, and Zhenyuan!
Thank you to our volunteer Litter Leaders who played a vital role in leading this community clean-up:
Jan, Gary, Kurtis, & Andrew!
The last rains of an atmospheric river couldn’t stop participants of all ages and backgrounds who came together for the third of four
litter cleanups in Burnaby this year, to connect with one another while making a huge difference in the Edmonds Community!
Read more about our record-setting day below!
Impacts
- 80 community members were engaged!
- 26 participants cleaned up litter for the first time
- 41 participants visited the Edmonds Community Centre for the first time
- 26 participants cleaned up litter for the first time
- We also ran a cleanup here last year, read about our 2024 cleanup here!
- Community members joined us from across the Lower Mainland, with a majority from Burnaby, but others also joining from Vancouver, Surrey, Port Coquitlam, Richmond, New Westminster, Coquitlam and Langley!
- 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!
- 261 hours were contributed towards keeping litter out of streets, waterways and ecosystems to create a cleaner, healthier community!
- 691 pounds of litter was removed from our sidewalks, parks, roadsides, and green spaces! This is a new Green Teams record for most weight of litter removed!
- Over 10,000 pieces of litter were tracked and removed including:
- 5,373 cigarette butts
- 1562 food wrappers
- 1167 bits of paper & cardboard
- 778 plastic bags
- 408 cups & lids
- 113 pieces of glass
- 199 bottles & cans
- 87 items of clothing/shoes
- 9 pieces of electronics
- 118 pieces of metal
- 58 pieces of styrofoam
- and more!
- Some interesting finds included:
- 5 Shopping Carts! 2 of which we were able to return to their homes!
- Broken TV
- Moldy Strawberries, Coconut Shells, & a Half Watermelon
- Sparkly Dress with Black High Heels
- Spray Mop & Parts of a Vaccuum Cleaner
- 2 Cans of Cooking & Engine Oil
- A Broken Bike
- Airpods
- Cat Litter Box (used)
- Garden Machete
- Fly Swatter
- Wooden Tabletop
Highlights
- This was the third 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 1,300lbs of trash so far this year! Join us Sept. 20th at the Cameron Elementary School where we’ll aim to break the 1,500 pound mark!
- Burnaby Acting Mayor James Wang joined us and shared his appreciation to everyone and spoke about the importance of coming together to build community and steward the areas we live!
- Our volunteer Litter Leaders Jan, Gary, Andrew, and Kurtis 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!
- New connections & friendships were created as participants worked together taking care of this community!
- Delicious snacks including a spicy fava bean mix, dill pickle pretzels, brownies, carrots, 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!
- 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!
- Thanks to Bernie Hollet, a local resident who initiated and hosts frequent cleanups with the Highgate Clean-Up Group, who connected with us and helped spread the word for this cleanup!
- This cleanup group has successfully convinced multiple local businesses to put “Butt Buckets” outside of their storefronts to reduce cigarette butt littering by customers
- This is a great example of how we can all help create change in our neighbourhoods, one small action at a time!
- Thank you to the consistent efforts of this group to steward this area by picking up litter!
- 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 who both stayed later 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 Sea Scouts to volunteer with us and helped us combine bags and empty buckets at the end of the cleanup!
- Thanks to Alfred who spread the word and brought out members of Volunteer Burnaby to participate today as well!
- We ran into several community members who regularly pick up litter in this neighbourhood and were grateful for our help! One community member even gave us some freshly harvested cherry tomatoes from her community garden plot!
What Community Members Said
Video of Ana, talking about the importance of cleaning our community!
Video of Steve, talking about his experience at many Green Teams activities and learning something new everytime!
Video of Alef Zayn, talking the importance of cleaning the community and setting a positive example!
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 hot chocolate 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!
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 led this activity together!