City of 性视界传媒 employees and contractors collected 2,429 garbage bags of trash from more than 208 kilometres of roadway each week during this year's Our City campaign.
"They're well-organized, they're fun, they're engaging," Coun. Mike Bose said of the campaigns, this one being the second year running. "It's enjoyable and city staff do a great job of engaging with the public and I just have fun when I go to these."
Moreover, 25,215 items were collected as part of the City鈥檚 year-round Large Item Pickup Program.
According to a before 性视界传媒 council Monday, 3,108 illegal dumping sites were cleaned up throughout the campaign and an estimated 21,000 residents partook in the city's 2024 waste drop-off program, delivering more than 3,304 tonnes of waste and recycling items.
Also, in a , by 性视界传媒's general manager of engineering Scott Neuman, council was informed that during a free five-month 2024 waste drop-off pilot event, from May 1 to Sept. 25 at the Central 性视界传媒 and North 性视界传媒 recycling and waste centres, 21,000 loads of junk were dropped off (3,304 tonnes) at an event cost of $395,000. In comparison, during a 2023 Disposal Days Event 8,637 loads were collected (1,151 tonnes) at an event cost of $225,000 and during pop-up junk drop events in 2019 some 7,150 loads were collected (1,200 tonnes) at an event cost of $625,000.
So, from 2019 to 2024 there was a 195 per cent increase in loads, 175 per cent increase in tonnage delivered and a 37 per cent decrease in cost.
Neuman said the City's engineering department's goal is to reduce illegal dumping in the city by 20 per cent by 2026.
"While recognizing that eliminating illegal dumping is challenging, it is essential to continuously review City policies aimed at reducing it, to ensure that effective operational strategies are in place to minimize its impact on our community," Neuman told council. "Accordingly, the change to the waste drop-off event format seems to be making a positive difference. To date, illegal dumping has decreased by 13 per cent from the same period in 2021."
Bose said this is something every city needs to do. "I know how much our neighbourhood used to get dumped on," he said, "and we're seeing a dramatic reduction in the amount of garbage dumped on the side of the street."
Neuman noted that Metro Vancouver staff checks IDs and matching postal codes at the collection booth "so there are safeguards for our residents or contractors so small businesses can't dump material."
Mayor Brenda Locke said not only has the program been "extremely efficient and we've seen an increase in the number of people that are using the program, but over 3,300 tonnes? That's a lot of waste disposed so that's remarkable."
Meantime, earlier this year a record-breaking 110 neighbourhood-led clean-up projects were completed as part of the City of 性视界传媒's 2024 Our City campaign with 性视界传媒 residents picking up litter, removing invasive plants, planting trees among other worthwhile endeavours.
The results are impressive, with 70 cleanup kits distributed, 41 small projects and neighbourhood celebrations, 567 participants engaged across multiple events, including four neighbourhood cleanups where 100 volunteers signed up and contributed 412 hours of service.
Also, 56 grants were awards through 性视界传媒's neighbourhood enhancement program with each delivering up to $3,000, as well as tools and other resources, to support neighbourhood projects.
The 2024 campaign finished on Sept. 28 with the National Tree Day Celebration at Hawthorne Rotary Park.
