Small Litter, Big Problem

Most of us have been taught since we were kids that litter is bad. So why do we still see gum wrappers, cigarette butts and other small litter on our streets? Even before green became the new black, I remember learning songs in kindergarten about keeping the environment clean by putting trash in the garbage bin. It’s no wonder Calgary is such a clean community, we teach our children early that throwing your junk on the ground is not acceptable.

That being said, there are still some issues with small litter. Chewing gum, cigarette butts, drink containers, grocery bags, receipts and more are all small problems that make a big impact.

Small litter builds up over time and costs the city as well as businesses money to clean up. Doing our part and disposing of our small litter properly would save the City of Calgary thousands, and have a positive impact on the economy by saving small business owners cleaning costs, and improving Calgary’s image to tourists.

Let’s do a little math…

If you spend 20 minutes cleaning your community, that’s the equivalent to about $3 if you were being paid minimum wage. If half of Calgary’s population (~500,000) chips in 20 minutes each that’s a value of $1.5 Million dollars! Imagine what can be done with an extra million dollars lying around!

RSVP on Facebook and let your friends and family know that you’re pledging just 20 minutes to make the city a cleaner place!

The 20 Minute Makeover starts downtown at Century Gardens (826 8 Ave. S.W.) on Wednesday, June 6th and continues across the city until June 10th.

Tagged as: 20 Minute Makeover, Calgary, clean calgary, clean to the core, small litter