CPIA stages annual Shoreline Cleanup

The Canadian Plastics Industry Association (CPIA) held its annual “Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup” on October 18, cleaning up litter along a portion of the Etobicoke Creek in Mississauga, Ont.

The CPIA was joined in the effort by staff from Canadian plastics processors CKF Inc. and Polykar Industries.

The Shoreline Cleanup effort is said by the CPIA to be one of the largest direct action environmental programs in Canada and the third largest cleanup in the world.

“As a site sponsor of the Shoreline Cleanup, CPIA was very excited to participate again this year,” said Carol Hochu, CPIA president and CEO. “This national conservation effort is a great chance for everyone to get involved and play an important role in keeping our waterways healthy, which benefits our community as well as the plants and animals that rely on our waters for survival.”

Shoreline cleanups began in 1994, when a small team from the Vancouver Aquarium conducted a local shoreline cleanup in Vancouver’s Stanley Park. In 2002, the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup became a national program. Over its 22-year history, the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup has helped to remove over 1.2 million kilograms of shoreline litter – the approximate weight of 259 school buses.