Volunteers are needed for the Sunshine Coast Regional District’s (SCRD) eighth annual “Backroad Trash Bash” on Saturday, Sept. 21 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
This year’s event will focus on cleaning up illegal dump sites off forest service roads from Halfmoon Bay to Roberts Creek.
Each year, an average of 40 to 50 volunteers help clean up a different area of the Sunshine Coast. Since the event launched in 2012, more than 45 tonnes of illegally dumped material has been hauled out of forests and off backroads and disposed of at the landfill.
“Some materials that are dumped can be disposed of for free under product stewardship programs such as electronics, tires, lead acid batteries, and used paint,” Robyn Cooper, SCRD solid waste programs manager, said in a release.
Sign-in begins at 11 a.m. at the Seaside Centre, 5790 Teredo St., Sechelt. Volunteers are treated to a free barbecue lunch and have a chance to win prizes.
To pre-register, email infrastructure@scrd.ca or phone 604-885-6806. For more details about the Backroad Trash Bash, visit www.scrd.ca/trashbash
To learn more about the issue of illegal dumping and how to report dump sites in the region, the public can view the “Stop Illegal Dumping” video made in partnership with the Association of Vancouver Island Coastal Communities at www.scrd.ca/stop-illegal-dumping
Residents are advised to report an illegal dump site to the BC Conservation Service RAPP (Report All Poachers and Polluters) line at 1-877-952-7277 orwww.env.gov.bc.ca/cos/rapp/rapp
