Wedding dress, anyone? Shoreline litter comes in all forms

By Jill Dwyer, program manager for the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup
When participants of the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup, presented by Loblaw Companies Limited, and a joint conservation initiative of the Vancouver Aquarium and WWF, scoured shorelines over the last few years for litter, they were expecting to find the usual suspects – cigarette butts, food wrappers/containers, and plastic shopping bags, among other items. What they weren’t expecting to find were a list of quirky items that included a payphone, a hospital bed and even a wedding dress!

(C) Vancouver Aquarium

No matter what form it comes in, shoreline litter and pollution puts ecosystems, wildlife and people at risk.  Marine debris can negatively impact water quality through contamination, as well as the health of plants and animals that live in that ecosystem.
Local wildlife run the risk of getting tangled in or ingesting litter or other pollutants.  Shoreline litter can create danger for people as well, and cause economic damage to areas that rely on tourism or water-based industries, like fishing.
The good news is that you can be part of the solution to keep shorelines healthy for everyone. Sign up at ShorelineCleanup.ca to participate in one of Canada’s largest direct action cleanup efforts from September 15-23, 2012 – right in your own community. Adopt a local shoreline as a site coordinator, or volunteer with an existing cleanup. You never know what you’ll find – perhaps you’ll be the one to find the next most unusual litter item! ShorelineCleanup.ca.