The Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) is celebrating the success of its third annual Backroad Trash Bash on Saturday, Sept. 13.
This year, the event received an overwhelmingly positive response as 50 people gathered to clean up trash illegally dumped in the Pender Harbour area.
“We had a great turnout of really enthusiastic volunteers; it was truly a community effort. We could not be more pleased with the results,” said SCRD zero waste coordinator Robyn Cooper.
Volunteers included residents, members of the Pender Harbour Hiking Club and Sunshine Coast Geocachers (CITO), and staff from BC Conservation Service, BC Parks and the SCRD. The Pender Harbour Rotary Club cooked up a tasty barbecue lunch following the clean up.
“Public awareness of the illegal dumping problem has increased and there is a strong and unfavourable reaction to it,” added SCRD board chair, Garry Nohr. “Illegal dumping has serious effects on the environment, wildlife habitat, public health, and the ability of community members to use and enjoy outdoor recreational areas.”
This year, six tonnes of waste was collected, including household garbage, tires, televisions, appliances, metal, and construction waste.
“People are encouraged to use depots on the Coast as many of the materials that were dumped can be disposed of for free under product stewardship programs such as televisions and tires,” said Cooper. “Other items can be safely disposed of or recycled at a low cost at SCRD landfills.”
If an illegal dump site is found, residents are asked to report it to the Conservation Officer Service Report All Poachers and Polluters (RAPP) line at 1-877-952-7277 or online www.env.gov.bc.ca/cos/rapp/form.htm
“On behalf of the SCRD, I applaud the volunteers who dedicated their time to this annual community clean-up effort,” said Cooper. “We hope that this helps reinforce the message that dumping trash in our woods is legally and socially unacceptable.”
