Over 300 OLG employees pitch in to clean up Canadian shorelines

When I first learned about their results, I have to admit that I had mixed feelings. On one hand, I was dismayed by the sheer amount of litter they had collected. In a mere couple of hours, OLG employees had filled over 200 garbage bags which added up to more than 1600 pounds of litter! In addition to the usual suspects (plastic bags, cigarette butts, bottles), the litter they collected included much bigger and potentially more dangerous items: an electrical panel, bike, sleeping bag, car bumper, stove, mattress and propane tanks!

© OLG
There’s no denying that this litter is a direct result of human activities – whether discarded accidentally or deliberately. And this made me feel sad. I couldn’t help but wonder: how can we be doing this to our planet, our own natural habitat?
But at the same time and more importantly, I was inspired. OLG’s strong culture of conservation was demonstrated by the fantastic turnout and participation by OLG employees. With the support and encouragement of senior management, over 300 employees from 21 sites across Ontario took time out of their work day to take care of our shorelines.

To me, this is a perfect example of the power of people. It gives me a strong and positive glimpse of our future when I imagine what can be achieved when we galvanize the power of individuals and businesses who share a collective desire for change and work together to ensure a living planet.