A provincial litter survey carried out this spring has found that cigarette butts and food containers from takeout service are the most common litter items on Prince Edward Island roadsides.
Minister of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Environment Chester Gillan released the Roadside Litter Survey Report 2002 today. The survey was conducted by the Southeast Environmental Association as part of the provincial litter awareness campaign.
"This data gives us a snapshot of the litter problem in PEI," said Minister Gillan. "We now know what types of items people tend to toss out on roadsides. This information will help us as we develop strategies to change attitudes and behaviours."
The survey included a total of 45 sites, including both urban and rural areas across the three counties. Each site consisted of a 100-metre stretch on both sides of the road for a total area of 200 metres.
Looking at the survey results overall:
• 36 per cent of the litter collected consisted of food containers. Within that category, cups were the most common item, accounting for 12 per cent of roadside litter, cup lids made up nine per cent; and straws comprised five per cent of the items collected.
• 15 per cent of the litter collected consisted of plastic items that did not fit into any particular category.
• Paper, including paper bags from takeout service, made up another 12 per cent of roadside litter.
• Nine per cent of litter consisted of confectionary items - chip bags, gum packaging, and bar and other candy wrappers.
• Beverage containers, including cans, plastic and glass bottles and cartons, accounted for seven per cent of roadside litter.
• Another six per cent of items collected consisted of other containers such as cigarette packs and plastic bags.
The litter survey did not include articles smaller than one inch in diameter - approximately bottle cap size. Therefore, cigarette butts were not recorded as a rule. However, because they have been found to be one of the major items of litter in other jurisdictions, the PEI survey included data on cigarette butts at three randomly-selected sites. Results showed 383, 681, and 320 butts collected.
"The survey clearly identifies cigarette butts as a problem. They accounted for an astounding 73 per cent of roadside litter items at the three sites they were collected," said Minister Gillan. "Unfortunately, it seems smokers don't think of cigarette butts as litter, when in fact they are one of the most harmful items of litter."
Wind and rain can carry cigarette butts into the waterways where the toxic chemicals which the cigarette filter was designed to trap leak out into aquatic ecosystems, threatening water quality and aquatic life.
Another interesting result from the roadside litter survey was the difference in the quantity and variety of litter items found in urban versus rural sites. There was generally twice the number of food and beverage containers and confectionary items in rural areas compared to urban areas. The report notes the common theory for this is that people in a car get a certain distance from the point of purchase, finish the food product and throw out the waste.
"This reinforces the point that one group we need to target with the litter awareness campaign is people eating on the run," said Minister Gillan. "We have to convince them that tossing empty food containers out the window is simply unacceptable. It's unsightly and it's illegal."
While the litter survey report notes that the amount of litter on PEI roadsides appears to be less than that in neighbouring provinces, it attributes that to successful annual cleanups and not necessarily a higher consciousness of Island drivers. With an average of 122 items collected per site - not including the data on cigarette butts, Minister Gillan said it is clear that littering is a problem in Prince Edward Island and steps must be taken to prevent it.
"The data from this survey will serve as a benchmark," the Minister added, noting that surveys will be conducted annually over the next few years. "We have just embarked on a provincial litter awareness campaign. Comparing data from litter surveys will be one important means of measuring the success of that campaign."
The litter awareness campaign encourages Islanders and visitors to "Keep the Island clean. Put litter in its place." The campaign focuses on three key areas: public awareness, community involvement and enhanced enforcement.
For further information on littering and the provincial litter awareness campaign, visit the web site at www.gov.pe.ca/litter or call the litter hotline at 1-866-368-5024. The Roadside Litter Survey Report 2002 is available from Island Information Service and online at www.gov.pe.ca/litter.
BACKGROUNDER
Roadside Litter Survey Report 2002
What is litter?
Whenever waste is not properly disposed of, it is considered litter. It includes everything from a wrapper tossed out a car window or a piece of paper dropped on a walking trail, to a bag of trash dumped on the roadside, construction debris flying off the back of a truck, or a cigarette butt flicked on the sidewalk.
Why is litter a concern?
Litter spoils that natural beauty of Prince Edward Island. However, its negative impacts can go well beyond aesthetics.
• Items such as syringes or hazardous materials pose a threat to public health.
• Litter can cause injury to wildlife and birds that mistake it for food.
• Litter in an urban setting can attract vermin.
• Old fishing line, rope, nets or wire can trap land or marine life.
• Wind and rain can carry cigarette butts into the waterways where the toxic chemicals that the cigarette filter was designed to trap leak out into aquatic ecosystems, threatening water quality and aquatic life.
• Cigarette butts can also be the cause of fires.
• Litter is wasteful. Many littered items could be recycled or reused.
What is the Provincial Litter Awareness Campaign?
A Litter Awareness Committee was formed in March to identify strategies to address concerns about litter. The committee includes representatives from various industry sectors such as tourism, restaurants, manufacturing, grocery retailers and construction. Other members include the Federation of PEI Municipalities; Island Waste Management Corporation; Tourism PEI; the PEI Liquor Control Commission; the Federated Women's Institute of Prince Edward Island; and Southeast Environmental Association.
Minister of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Environment Chester Gillan officially launched the provincial litter awareness campaign in June. Focusing on public awareness, community involvement and enhanced enforcement, the campaign encourages all Prince Edward Islanders to help keep the Island clean by putting litter in its place!
What are the penalties for littering?
Littering is not only unacceptable, it is illegal. There are more than half a dozen provincial acts alone under which littering charges can be laid. As well, many municipalities have anti-littering bylaws in place.
• Under the Highway Traffic Act, the minimum fine for littering highways is $200. Shifting or leaking loads or loads not securely fastened can result in fines and points lost on a driver's licence.
• A person or corporation can be charged with littering under the Environmental Protection Act. An individual charged under the act faces a minimum $200 fine to a maximum $1,000 fine. The act also allows for higher fines for corporations - $1,000 minimum to $50,000 maximum.
• A person who litters while angling can be charged under the Wildlife Conservation Act Angling Regulations. The fine is the same as that under the Environmental Protection Act. However, the more severe punishment may be the automatic one-year suspension of a fishing licence.
• Under the Trails Act, a person who leaves garbage or other material on the trail faces a minimum $200 fine and a maximum of $1,000.
• A person who dumps or deposits material on trespassed property can be charged under the Trespass to Property Act. The minimum fine is $100 and the maximum $500.
• The Roads Act covers off areas adjacent to highways. A charge of placing rubbish at or near a highway carries a $50 fine.
• Under the Unsightly Premises Act, environment officers may order a person to clean up litter with failure to do so resulting in a fine of $200 per day.