Thank you so much to The Radius Group staff who made a difference in their neighbourhood!
Pam, Ron, Tracy, Curtis, Klay, Travis, Shantal, Ashley, Francesca, Baljit, Charly, Melissa, & David!
Staff from The Radius Group came together as a team to learn about litter and make a difference in their community!
Keep reading for our impacts, highlights and more from the day…
Impacts
- 13 staff members participated in the cleanup!
- 7 people removed litter for the first time
- 20 hours were contributed towards keeping litter out of streets, waterways, and ecosystems to create a cleaner, healthier community!
- 120 lbs of litter of all shapes, sizes, and weights were removed from their Richmond neighbourhood – almost a dozen full garbage bags!
- This is equivalent to the weight of a Giant Pacific Octopus, or 8 bowling balls!
- Some interesting finds include…
- Old film photos
- A Downy laundry detergent jug
- A hubcap
- A tire tube & reflective light
- A squashed shoe polish can
- Many hairnets
- An abandoned & broken wooden pallet
- The remnants of a pylon
- A broken toaster oven & lamp
- A sparkly tree
- Sunglasses, a shirt, underwear & a sock
- Someone’s lunch container complete with rotten lunch & the packaging from multiple Tim Horton’s combo meals
- Contact case & an eyeglass lens
- 1,000+ pieces of litter were tracked using our Litter Tracker & removed including:
- 590+ cigarette butts
- 112+ food wrappers
- 97+ bits of paper and cardboard
- 64+ pieces of styrofoam
- 40+ cups & lids
- 35+ plastic bags
- 28+ bottles & cans
- 23+ pieces of glass
- 10+ pieces of metal
- 5+ electronics
- 3,000+ pieces of litter are estimated to have been removed at this cleanup!
- It’s difficult to track each piece of litter while also removing as much as we can. Our Litter Tracker is intended to help give an idea of what was found to help communicate our impact and add to the experience of those we engage!
Highlights
- This was the Lower Mainland Green Team’s first corporate team building activity! Thank you to The Radius Group for partnering with us for this exciting milestone and setting an example for others to follow
- Across two 1.5 hour sessions, we led groups of Radius staff in opposite directions around their workplace to maximize their impact on the neighbourhood
- Radius staff learned about some common misconceptions about litter, the impacts that litter can have on wildlife and on ourselves, and how this trash can travel far and wide by wind & water, into our rivers & streams and far away out to the open ocean!
- We found a dumping site that included many small plastic items, a larger wooden pallet, discarded blankets, a hubcap, a detergent bottle, and more! We cleaned up this site and marked the large items for the City to pickup
- Radius staff also learned about some native and invasive plants like English ivy, Himalayan blackberry and Morning glory that were nearby and why these invasive plants are an environmental issue too!
- At the end of our sessions, we reflected on what we’d learned & experienced and everyone was surprised how much litter they could find once they were looking for it!
- People also felt inspired and empowered by how easy it was to take action to tackle this trash!
- We had some tasty treats at the end of our sessions including carrots & cucumbers with hummus, brownies, Bubly, and other great snacks!
- Special thank you to Melissa & Charly who helped initiate and organize this activity with our team, and to all the Radius Staff who joined us for their time spent building a stronger team, contributing to their neighbourhood, and sharing their dedication to the community!
Team Building Partner
Thank you to The Radius Group for partnering with our charity to make this meaningful engagement opportunity to connect, learn, and clean up the environment possible!
The support through this partnership has not only enabled us to organize this hands-on activity, but is investing in the engagement of thousands of people in environmental action every year to build stronger communities, healthier ecosystems, and a deeper connection to nature. Community engagement is a key piece of the puzzle for a more sustainable future!
If your organization is interested in partnering with the Lower Mainland Green Team to build a stronger team and make a difference in your community, contact our Partnerships Manager, Ashton Kerr!
What Else Can YOU Do?
Small actions count, especially when many people are doing them.
Here are a few things that YOU can do to reduce litter and take action in your everyday life!
- Educate smokers about the potential impacts of discarded butts to help to prevent these ending up in our environment
- Dispose of trash properly and make sure your bins are closed and secured to prevent litter from blowing away and negative interactions between urban wildlife and litter
- Choose re-usable items instead of single-use items. Reusable water bottles, cloth bags, stainless steel and glass containers are a great start!
- Ask yourself “do I need it?” Things like plastic produce bags at the grocery store, straws and extra napkins, while free, aren’t always needed. Ask yourself the same when buying things to save money and reduce consumption!
- Choose natural fabrics and materials to reduce your reliance on plastic products and prevent these from breaking down into microplastic pollution. Did you know that polyester is plastic and that the fibres contribute to microplastic pollution? Consciously choosing natural materials and properly recycling can help prevent plastics from ending up in the trash or ocean
- Don’t toss your apple core or fruit peels! Organic litter can attract wildlife to roadsides and risks negative interactions with skunks, raccoons, birds of prey, and other animals. These also don’t break down the way we think they do! Taking these home with you to put in the compost is the best option
- Report dumping when you see it! Every municipality has a website or email you can report illegal dumping to – you can even get a $200 reward with the City of Richmond! You will set a positive example and prevent further dumping there
- Participate in more cleanups like this one to prevent litter from having a further negative impact, inspire a community sense of pride and stewardship, and create a pristine place that will discourage further littering!
- Organize your own cleanup! Many municipalities can help provide supplies and support to Adopt-A-Street, like the City of Richmond’s Partners for Beautification Program!
- Share your experience and knowledge with others!
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 Possible
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, ran this activity together.