Communities in Bloom launching anti-litter campaign

By Sean Feagan, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Strathmore Communities in Bloom, an organization dedicated to the beautification of Strathmore, has started a campaign to thank residents for helping to keep the town tidy.

The organization’s litter awareness program will see signs and stickers added to garbage cans and other areas in town to encourage people to clean up after themselves. The organization is looking to keep things positive, by thanking those who properly dispose of garbage or even pick it up, rather than admonishing litterbugs.

“We are firm believers the vast majority of people work to make Strathmore a great place to live, and so we just wanted to say thank you to those people,” said Rob Pirie, Strathmore Communities in Bloom chair.

Last fall, Communities in Bloom paid for signs asking residents to help keep Strathmore tidy and references to the town’s garbage bylaws, which have been installed in Kinsmen and Gray’s Parks. To build on those efforts, these new stickers will be installed at each of the 170 or so garbage cans across town by Communities in Bloom volunteers.

The rationale for the program is to encourage civic responsibility, said Pirie.

The program hopes to build on the work of volunteers who participated in Strathmore’s Pitch-in Week to clean up litter across town. But if garbage was disposed of properly, such events would not be necessary, he said.

With more people using Strathmore’s parks and greenspaces than ever, there are also more chances people might litter. 

In the town’s evaluation by Communities in Bloom, one of the recommendations was to increase the number of garbage cans throughout these areas, which could also address the issue, noted Pirie. “We have never seen so many people on the paths.”