Throughout the pandemic, we saw an increase in the single-use plastics, especially in the food industry. According to the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup annual reports, the single-use food and beverage category made up 15.3 per cent of the litter found in 2019, 26.6 per cent in 2020 and 32 percent in 2021. Each year, the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup identifies the 12 most found items along shorelines called the Dirty Dozen. In 2021, these items were (in order of amount collected):
- Cigarette butts
- Plastic pieces
- Styrofoam pieces
- Food wrappers
- Bottle caps
- Paper
- Beverage cans
- Plastic bags
- Straws
- Plastic bottles
- Coffee cups and lids
- PPE (i.e. gloves, masks) – this is the first year this was added
Join the Burlington Sustainable Development Committee, BurlingtonGreen and Burlington Public Library in a session about the future of the reusable economy and the end of single use plastic.
Guest panelists include:
- Kale Black, Senior Program Coordinator, BurlingtonGreen
- Annika Greve, Global Senior Director Business Development, Loop
- Nicole Watt, Waste Diversion Education Coordinator, Halton Region
Topics to be covered include:
- The single-use economy
- Corporate social enterprises redefining consumer convenience
- Putting the responsibility of waste back on producers
- Local businesses leading the reusable economy movement in Burlington
- Small changes you can make at home to have a positive impact in your life and in your community
Registration details
- Tuesday, May 10, 2022
- 7 to 8:15 p.m.
- Live via Zoom. Note that connection details will be emailed to you when you register. You can call in, use your computer or your device through the Zoom app.
- Registration closes 60 minutes before the program begins.
The Burlington Sustainable Development Committee is a volunteer citizens advisory committee to Burlington City Council formed in 1990 to advise on matters related to sustainable development.
BurlingtonGreen is a community-driven, non-partisan, registered charity established in 2007. For the past 12 years, they have been leading the annual Clean Up Green up event for cleaner and greener parks, streams, schoolyards and neighbourhoods.
Take Action Burlington! Let’s reduce single use plastics and its negative impact on the environment. Collectively we can make a difference.
Take Action Burlington 