PRINCE RUPERT – Following up a successful Rupert Rubbish Round-up campaign in April, Prince Rupert community cleanup organizer Sarah Dantzer is leading the charge on Butt Blitz this Saturday.
The Butt Blitz initiative, a Canada-wide campaign to rid communities of stray cigarette butts on the streets, is coming to Prince Rupert thanks to Dantzer and fellow organizer Anna McRobbie, who are leading the charge on the clean-up.
The two are hoping to see over a dozen volunteers to join in and add to the 380,254 pieces of litter collected all over the country through A Greener Future’s initiative.
It’s the third year for Butt Blitz, which started in 2014 after A Greener Future executive director and founder Rochelle Archibald picked up 250 pieces of litter in her grandmother’s honour, in a retirement community. Many of the residents couldn’t pick up the litter themselves so she thought she would help out.
Since then, Archibald has turned the campaign into a nationwide, and even global initiative. The goal for communities around Canada on May 6, 2017 is to collect 200,000 cigarette butts.
Recently, Dantzer decided to test out her abilities on Moresby trail and was amazed to discover just how many cigarette butts from area smokers she picked up off the ground.
“It was shocking to find 58 cigarette butts along the trail and by the waterfront,” she said.
Friendly competition is encouraged between participants thanks to business support, with Prince Rupert Special Events Society handing out pocket ashtrays. The cigarette butts can be recycled at TerraCycle Canada, with the goal of the cleanup to raise awareness on the negative impacts that cigarette butt litter has on ecosystems and health, as well as to prevent future littering through the distribution of pocket ashtrays, A Greener Future states on its website.
Dantzer and McRobbie are asking anyone interested in helping out clean up Cow Bay and downtown Prince Rupert on Saturday to meet at Cowpuccino’s at noon.
Find out more by emailing Dantzer at sarahdantzer89@gmail.com and visiting www.agreenerfuture.ca
