Thank you to everyone who participated in our litter clean-up!
Alfred, Ana, Andrew H., Andrew W., Anjali, Archer, Art, Charlene, Chiraz, Dabin, Dedipya, Ed, Elaine, Elyzaveta, Emma, Fei, Gabriella, George, Gordon, Gurkaran, Hana, Hong, Irene, James W., James W., Jason, Jayanand, Jiekai, Jon, Kevin, Kurtis, Larysa, Loc, Lorena, Marieva, Mark, Mike C., Mike H., Nikki, Phoebe, Pin-Yu, Richard, So Hyun, Susanna, Swathi, Tommy, Vivi, Vy, Wan, Xiaoyan, Yixuan, Yule, & Yuxin!
Thank you to our volunteer litter leaders who played a vital role in leading this community clean-up too!
Andrew & Kurtis!
Participants of all ages and backgrounds had a great time in the rain, coming together for our first of four Burnaby litter cleanups in 2025 to connect with one another, make a positive environmental impact, and set a great example for the community!
Impacts
- 54 community members were engaged
- 33 participants cleaned up litter for the first time
- 36 participants visited the Willingdon Community Centre for the first time
- 33 participants cleaned up litter for the first time
- Community members joined us from as close as right next door to across the Lower Mainland, including from Burnaby, Vancouver, Surrey, Richmond, Pitt Meadows, Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, and New Westminster!
- 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
- 170 hours were contributed towards keeping litter out of streets, waterways, and ecosystems to create a cleaner, healthier community!
- 308 lbs of litter were removed!
- Over 3,000 pieces of litter were tracked and removed including:
- 2,129+ cigarette butts
- 441 food wrappers
- 247 bits of paper & cardboard
- 169 plastic bags
- 88 cups & lids
- 60 pieces of glass
- 43 bottles & cans
- 16 items of clothing/shoes
- 5 pieces of electronics
- 61 pieces of metal
- 19 pieces of styrofoam
- and more!
- Some interesting finds included:
- Pizza Pan
- A Quagsire Pokemon card
- National Geographic Magazine
- Pair of socks & base layer pants
- A wig
- Car parts like Mud flaps & Hub caps
- Dog Ball Thrower
- Coat hanger
- Baby Clothes
Highlights
- This was the first of FOUR litter clean-ups we’ll be running with the City of Burnaby this year!
- Burnaby Mayor Mike Hurley, Councillor Richard T. Lee & Councillor James Wang joined us and shared their appreciation to everyone for coming together to take care of the community!
- The Mayor shared an inspiring speech about the importance of caring for one another and the places we live!
- 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, Kurtis & Andrew did an amazing job guiding and supporting community members in this litter cleanup, thank you!
- Our volunteers met other enthusiastic supporters of community, were inspired by so many people taking positive action, and left with new friends!
- We enjoyed tracking the litter we picked up using our litter tracker app created by one of our own community members, Chris!
- Participants learned about the impacts litter can have on urban wildlife, on our streams, rivers, & oceans, and on ourselves!
- Check out our 2024 Litter Clean-ups with the City of Burnaby too!
- 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!
- Delicious snacks including fresh cucumbers & carrots, brownies, yogurt granola bars, juice boxes, and more were devoured at our break!
What Community Members Said
Video of Anjali, talking about her experience at the activity and giving back to her 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!
BIG thank you to Zac for his essential role in organizing this activity alongside us and to Kristoff & Dave for co-leading this activity, picking up large garbage items, and bringing Timbits, donuts, and coffee 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.
We’ll be running more litter cleanups in all corners of Burnaby in partnership with the City this year! Check them out below to get involved in these Burnaby neighbourhoods!
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 led this activity with support from Ashton Kerr, the Lower Mainland Green Team’s Partnerships Manager who builds our relationship with communities to make these activities happen!