Single-use food packaging litter on Canadian shorelines nearly doubles last year: report
The proportion of single-use food packaging litter found on shorelines across the country nearly doubled last year, according to a report from the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup.
The cleanup is a conservation partnership between Ocean Wise and World Wildlife Fund Canada.
“We suspect that change has to do with the implications of COVID-19,” explains Megan Leslie, the president and CEO at WWF. “More people are ordering takeout, consuming individually packaged foods.”
Every year, the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup compiles a list called The Dirty Dozen – the most common litter found in Canada.
“For the first time ever in the shoreline cleanup’s 27 year history, volunteers reported find PPE (personal protective equipment), like masks and gloves,” Leslie explains.
Angela Riley is the founder of Scotian Shores - a business that collects litter from shorelines and turns it into products that helps to fund their cleanup operations.
Riley says she agrees with Leslie, adding people need to be more aware of how they’re disposing of their personal protective equipment.
“Masks, gloves, there’s definitely been a huge uptick since we started this,” explains Riley. “We’ve been finding a lot of them and that’s scary because those masks can get wrapped around a bird’s neck or something.”
Along with pandemic pollution, the president and CEO of WWF Canada says in Nova Scotia alone, the most common item picked-up is rope from fishing gear.
In Halifax, Kimberley Wotherspoon volunteers with the Clayton Park West Litter Prevention Committee to help keep communities and shorelines clean.
She encourages others to do the same.
“We’re trying right now, through the Clayton Park West Litter Prevention Committee, is trying to pick up some of the garbage before it does get to the ocean, before it blows there,” explains Wotherspoon. “You’re finding the classics washed up on the shore, along with stuff like rope.”
With many people heading to the beach this time of year, those dedicated to maintaining our pristine coastlines are offering some helpful tips.
“Pack out what you pack in, that’s a really great saying,” Riley says. “Leave nothing but footprints, take nothing but photos. I’m really hoping we can see more of that happening.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.
Ontario Provincial Police arrest 64 suspects in child sexual exploitation investigation
Ontario Provincial Police say 64 suspects are facing a combined 348 charges in connection with a series of child sexual exploitation investigations that spanned the province.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
Blind Sask. boy heading to international braille competition hopes to increase accessibility for visually impaired
A Saskatchewan boy who qualified for an international braille competition in Los Angeles next month hopes he can inspire change in his home province.
'A step forward': New screening criteria for sperm donors takes effect
Canadians looking to grow their families with the assistance of sperm or egg donations should soon have more options for donors as the federal health agency does away with longstanding restrictions criticized as discriminatory.