After a three-year absence due to the pandemic, Trash Bash will be returning.
On May 13, from 9:30 am to 3 pm at the Willingdon Beach gravel field, trash that has been picked up throughout the qathet region will be collected for recycling and disposal. Participants are urged to clean up trash from beaches, trails, alleyways and the backcountry and bring it to the site for processing.
To report a littered site that needs cleanup, people can download the TrashOut app or contact Let’s Talk Trash (LTT) at [email protected] or 604.485.2260, extension 308.
LTT team member Ingalisa Burns said with the app, people can use their phones and take a photo, which GPS locates the site. The person with the app can answer questions about access to the site and the nature of the materials.
People can also report trash to the report all poachers and polluters (RAPP) line, which connects people with the provincial conservation service. The number is 1.877.952.7277.
Burns said the team is excited that the event is back after a three-year COVID-19 pause.
“The community has enthusiastically supported the Trash Bash in the past,” said Burns. “Now that it is coming back, it is an opportunity for volunteers, community groups and others to come together. The opportunity is to clean up illegal dumpsites that are in our backwoods, along roadways, shorelines. It’s exciting to see people taking ownership to create a clean and beautiful and safe backcountry.”
Burns said people can start collecting now if they are keen to go out in their free time.
“A lot of people who are exploring the backwoods have seen trash sites, big and small, so they are invited to clean that up, as long as it is a place that is safe to do so,” said Burns. “People would then wait to bring the trash the day of the event.”
Burns said the Willingdon site is where Trash Bash collections have occurred in the past, so folks from the community will be familiar with the staging grounds. Participants don’t need to preregister, but people wondering how they can be involved on the day of the event can go to Willingdon, where there will be an information table.
“There are common dumpsites and we can inform the public about where they might find trash, or where we have identified sites, we will let them know,” said Burns, adding that dumpsites can be attractive for wildlife, which can lead to potential encounters that are unpleasant and unsafe for people and wildlife.
She said there is also the phenomenon of trash attracting trash and seemingly innocent disposal of yard and garden waste in the backcountry can make the public perceive that is an acceptable activity in the woodlands.
“Then, even non-organic material gets dropped off and accumulates,” said Burns. “Over time, hazardous material can end up there. Even yard and garden waste isn’t as innocent as it seems because we have the potential to spread invasive species.
“It has an impact on the environment, on wildlife, on tourism, and people’s enjoyment of the backcountry.”
Critical collection
In years past, between six and 17 tonnes of waste material has been collected, according to Burns. In 2019, the last event, just under 10 tonnes of trash was dropped off, and that included scrap metal, which is heavy, but also, there was 1.4 tonnes of recyclable foam from the aquaculture industry that had washed up on the Ahgykson Island shoreline, said Burns.
“That is fortunately recyclable through the Ocean Legacy Foundation,” she added. “You can just imagine the volume of foam if 1.4 tonnes was the weight of it.”
Because Trash Bash hasn’t operated the past three years, there may be greater accumulations of refuse than in some previous years.
“It’s a big question mark about what this year will look like,” said Burns. “Our hope is to really stimulate the community back into support of this significant communal effort that has such an impact in a single day. We’re excited.”
Burns said in years past, there have been about 170 volunteers, which includes community groups. She said organizations and clubs have been involved, and even entire schools have supported the initiative. qathet Regional District (qRD) staff, the ministry of forests, and cadets have come out, assisting people with offloading.
“It brings a diverse array of people from the community together,” said Burns. “I’m the coordinator for the event this year and I’ve been reaching out to groups. There’s been a wonderful excitement that is starting to build.”
Efforts will be made to divert as many materials as possible. The event is hosted by qRD, which is mandated by the province to deliver solid waste management services. Burns said the goal with the solid waste management plan is zero waste, which includes recycling as much of the trash collected as possible.
Burns said recyclables are frequently dumped, but can be returned to a depot or with curbside recycling at no cost, and she encourages people to use those means for disposal.
On the day of the Trash Bash, snacks and drinks will be provided for all litter pickers.
