CambridgeToday received the following letter about the litter overtaking our world, and especially right here at home.
I walk our city streets and country roads and it is truly disgusting. I am ashamed and appalled that we have let it get like this in only a couple of decades of neglect and disrespect for our homes. We used to live in a beautiful country.
Our regional government has the responsibility for waste management but is not managing it very well at all. The region does little or nothing towards to our litter problem, even though heaven knows our Regional taxes are record high.
Here are my recommendations:
1. Install trash receptacles at every bus stop in the region. Empty and clean these on a timely basis.
2. Pass a bylaw requiring a certain number of trash receptacles at every fast food location, gas station, and convenience store. Levy heavy fines against businesses that do not empty the trash in a timely manner or do not clean up around their businesses.
3. Increase the fines for littering substantially. Assign resources to catch and convict litterers
4. Create a concerted advertising campaign against littering and shaming those who do. Educate people on how to minimize and recycle trash. Work with the other levels of government to ensure school curriculum includes ant-litter training. Similar information should be given to all newcomers as part of their cultural integration. Put anti-litter banners on buses and other public buildings. Better advertise the free drop-off for old tires.
5. April 22 is Earth Day. Currently the various cities give token support for Earth Day clean up activities. They offer disposable gloves and trash bags for people to pick up and use for garbage clean-up on earth day. I believe they can do a LOT more. I recommend they follow the example of Rwanda.
The litter problem in Rwanda was out of hand so the president, Paul Kagame, ordered everyone out of their homes and into the streets to pick up garbage. He led by example and he, himself, the president, was also out in the streets picking up garbage. The whole country was involved.
They found like a gazillion plastic bags and immediately banned them. When I arrived in Rwanda in 2010 they even searched my luggage to make sure I did not have a plastic bag with me.
They also instituted a mandatory clean-up day once a month. So, the last Saturday of every month the roads are closed and all businesses are required to be closed from 8 in the morning until 1 in the afternoon. And everyone in the country cleans up around their homes and neighbourhoods. This monthly event is called ‘Umuganda’, which is Swahili for ‘community service’.
I can tell you after travelling and working in at least a third of the countries in the world, that Rwanda is the cleanest.
If they can do that in a developing country like Rwanda, why can we not do it here? Canadians like to think we have the best country in the world. Well, let’s put our time and effort where are mouths are.
I would like to issue a challenge to Karen Redman, our regional chair, all regional councillors, and all mayors and councillors in Waterloo region. Litter is everyone’s problem. It pollutes our ground water and drinking water. It pollutes our playgrounds and parklands. It is an eyesore and a health hazard. If the President of Rwanda can pick up garbage so can you. Are you willing to lead by example? Or do you think you are too good to pick up garbage? If the latter, you are part of the problem.
April 22 is Earth Day. Get out there and clean up this mess and make our region a place we can be proud of again.
Linda Farley
Cambridge
