It is unfortunate that litter and plastic surround us every day and that we have become a throw-away society. There is so much more we can do to keep nature and the environment clean.
Created to bring people together and get involved in reducing litter in our community, Clean Up Peterborough (CUP) launched as a new volunteer group in April with the motto “Let’s make the world a better place.”
Our focus is on developing strong partnerships and collaboration between volunteers, businesses, non-profit organizations and municipalities, so that we can all make a difference together.
In early June, CUP was one of 14 groups across Canada awarded a grant from the 2024 Unsmoke Canada Cleanups program. The grant, in its fifth year, is a partnership between The Great Outdoors Fund and Unsmoke Canada to support litter cleanup projects anywhere in Canada. We set a goal to complete five clean ups by the end of September.
During the first community clean up on July 14th, 18 incredible volunteers collected six bags of litter and recyclables, and found a whopping total of 5,185 cigarette butts in a 2.5 hour period across two city parks, trails, and nearby parking lots.
Cigarette filters and butts contain a type of plastic called cellulose acetate and are one of the most littered items on the planet.
Clean Up Peterborough appreciates the importance of being ambassadors within the community to educate the public about the effects of cigarette butt litter. The data we collect will be shared with various stakeholders so that positive changes can be made in the future.
Dan Brandsma of Silver Bean Café has been a great supporter of CUP. As the owner of two café locations that showcase the beauty of Little Lake, he understands the importance of promoting a clean environment.
“We work hard to care for our beautiful corner of Millennium Park by picking up litter left behind daily,” he says. “Unfortunately, the most common item we pick up are cigarette butts.”
CUP is now partnering with the Peterborough Downtown Business Improvement Area (DBIA) to bring focus and awareness to the downtown, especially around educating the public that cigarette butts can be recycled.
All cigarette butts collected by Clean Up Peterborough this summer will be sent free of charge to be recycled by TerraCycle Canada.
“We are happy to support the cigarette butt cleaning initiative in downtown Peterborough,” says Peterborough DBIA executive director Nour Mazloum. “This event is a fantastic opportunity for our community to come together and make a tangible difference, fostering a cleaner and a healthier downtown for all.”
Everyone is invited to be part of the next Downtown Community Cigarette Butt Clean Up on Sunday, August 11th from 8 to 10:30 a.m., starting from Quaker Foods City Square. Gloves, pick-up pails, and litter pickers will be provided — bring your own upcycled container as well.
During the event, people can collect cigarette butts anywhere in the downtown area. There will be an entry draw and prizes available.
More details are available in the Clean Up Peterborough Facebook group.
At the end of the August 11th event, we will launch a contest called “Walk Your BUTTS Off.”
People out walking anywhere in the City of Peterborough can pick up cigarette butts they see along their travels and store them in upcycled ice cream tubs (courtesy of Silver Bean Café) until September 22nd, when we will host a collection, weighing, and counting celebration. During this event, prizes will be offered. Final details will be announced at our August 11th event and on Clean Up Peterborough’s social media pages.
In the future we plan to expand our focus beyond litter, in order to support amazing initiatives around recycling, sustainability, and building a circular economy within Peterborough. If you are interested in learning more about Clean Up Peterborough, please visit them on Facebook or Instagram.
