International Coastal Cleanup Day is coming up this month on Saturday, September 17. In Nova Scotia, we love our more than 13,000 kilometers of beautiful coastal shoreline. We also have a responsibility to keep the shoreline clean and safe for ourselves, our wildlife and marine life – now and for future generations. You are invited to join in taking direct action to be part of this effort.
Canadians produce an astounding amount of garbage – recent data shows that per capita, Canada ranks number one in the world for garbage production. An alarming portion of this waste ends up polluting the environment. Join the Ocean Wise Shoreline Cleanup and help tackle this major issue!
Ocean Wise is a non-profit organization whose mission is to empower communities and individuals to take action to protect and restore our oceans. The Ocean Wise Shoreline Cleanup presented by Loblaw Companies Limited is a conservation program that provides Canadians across the country the opportunity to take direct-action to help protect waterways in their community, one bit of trash at a time. This initiative is one of Canada’s most effective efforts to clean up pollution.
Loblaw, including Atlantic Superstore here in the Maritimes, is a longtime presenting sponsor of shoreline cleanups in Canada. Mark Boudreau, Director of Corporate Affairs with Loblaw Atlantic in Halifax, says “The impact of plastic waste is a growing concern for our business and customers. To address these core environmental issues, our company has identified and deployed various initiatives to eliminate what we can and invest in organizations that can support us. Loblaw has partnered with Ocean Wise to drive progress towards meeting our business’s commitments around environmental action and fighting climate change.” The partnership with Ocean Wise is just one part of Loblaw’s current target of investing $1M in plastics research and community cleanups by 2025.
Halifax is one of three Canadian cities holding special events to celebrate International Coastal Cleanup Day on September 17. Here in Halifax, we are looking for volunteers to join us at Black Rock Beach at Point Pleasant Park.
When you register and attend the Halifax clean-up, you will be joining like-minded community members including Atlantic Superstore colleagues from across the city. It is a family-friendly event with free snacks and refreshments, and you will also have a chance to win prizes, including two tickets anywhere Air Canada flies! When you register to lead or join a cleanup you will receive comprehensive guidance on how to volunteer. You will even be provided with a data card to help track what you recover – you will be contributing valuable data for researchers and municipalities looking to uncover more ways to tackle shoreline litter.
Join us at the Halifax Shoreline Cleanup event! Signing up is easy at https://shorelinecleanup.org/cleanups/ ogegz. Or create an event of your own to clean up your favourite local shoreline! More information on how to join an existing cleanup or lead your own event is available at shorelinecleanup.org.
