HomeMy WebLinkAboutLakeshore Advance, 2013-07-10, Page 1212 Lakeshore Advance • Wednesday, July 10, 2013
Butt free beach
Lynda Hlliman-Rapley
OMI Agency
No platter which way you look at it, cig-
arette butts are dangerous litter. Tossed
onto the sidewalk, street or buried at
beach, cigarette butts are the most com-
monly littered item on the planet. Littered
butts in Southwestern Ontario get carried
in the storm ivater and ('n(i up its the (avilt
Lakes. when hutted on the beach. they
can stay in the sand for decades but wilt
eventually wash into the 1.*k '.
And that was the them' of last week's
presentation with the l alke 1 lump Coastal
Centre, 'l'erra(.ych', and the Grand Bend
Community Foundation at the (;rand
Bend beach.
Funded by the (rand Bend Colnnlu-
nity Foundation, Butt Mee Beach is a pilot
public education campaign to see if ciga-
rette butt litter can be reduced through
education and by providing a way for
smokers to responsibly dispose their
butts.
'A cigarette butt is a used filter. Because
filters art' designed to remove toxins from
tobacco while the cigarette is smoked,
each butt can contain up to 165 chemi-
cals. Sixty of these are known carcinogens
such as arsenic, formaldehyde, cI)lomitul)
and lead. Research has shown that these
chemicals will leach into the surrounding
environment, particularly when wet -
which is quite likely at the beach! Nicotine,
a known insecticide, has been shown to
have lethal effects on aquatic lift',"
explained Karen Alexander; the outreach
and education co -coordinator for the
Coastal (:entre.
"Filters are composed of cellulose ace-
tate, a microfiber plastic that is slow to
degrade and will never decompose. Ciga-
rettes are not just costly to society when
they are smoked. As litter they require sig-
nificant resources to clean up. Data from
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Lynda Hillman -Reply/
Penny Nelligan, Shirley Andraza, David Campbell, Harley Johnson, Karen Alexander, Jay Reyes, Stephanie
Donaldson, and In front Lambton Shores mayor Bill Weber with Emily and Liam Weber and Stella Hern
the (rt'at Canadian Shoreline' Clean-up shows ciga-
rette related litter to be 769 of all litter items removed
at Grand Bend. Municipal staff will attest to the local
problem and some shoreline residents claim the
problem, particularly after long weekends, is "disgust-
ing." Local taxpayers pay for the cost of Municipal staff
Wuxi to maintain beach cleanliness. "
She explains that cigarette butts have been recov-
ered from the stomachs of wildlife such as gulls and
fish. `Butts buried in the sand at the beach could be
ingested by young children playing in the sand.
Freshly tossed butts could burn bare feet should
someone happen to step on the fresh embers:'
Jay Reyes from 1'erra(ycle was on hand to explain
that every year, cigarette butts end up 111 dtrnpsters
and landfills, or they are tossed as litter on shorelines,
parks, and sidewalks across Canada. With the help of
one of (,anadal, s largest major tobacco manufacturers,
the waste collected through the Cigarette Waste Bri-
gade will he recycled into a variety of industrial prod-
ucts, such as plastic pallets, and any remaining
tobacco will be re -worked into tobacco composting.
ihe company, which operates in 23 countries, includ-
ing it Toronto office with eight employees, depends
on ordinary citizens and big business for its success.
The idea is relatively simple. TerraCycle turns items
such as candy wrappers, yogurt containers, chewing
guns, sandwich bags and cigarette butts into products
like tote bags and backpacks.
You will see the posters thrOLIghout town and many
businesses will also have the ashtrays with the Coastal
Centre logo. You roll the cardboard into a cone, fold
the edges, fill with sand and use that to butt out the
cigarette. You then drain the sand and empty into a
receptacle and keep for reuse.
For more information visit w«w.lakeshore.ca
Lakeshore Advance
Grand Bend Legion donates to Aging at Home team
Thanks to funding from the Grand Bend Legion, the Aging at Home Team, an umbrella of the Grand Bend
Community Health Centre were able to purchase a recumbent bike, treadmill, and an AED. Shown here
is the team (L -R) Shelley Snider, Aging at Home Coordinator, Maria Moore, Telemedicine Nurse, Aimee
McCann (on bike) - Occupational Therapist,Kim Klllens, Manager of Human Resources and Michael
Callihoo - Respiratory Therapist.
The Grand Bend CHC Aging at Home Program was initiated in 2008 with the Falls Prevention component
and the COPD Team has been active since February, 2011.
Client referrals are received through the the GBACHC as well as local health teams, private practioners,
Bluewater Health, South Huron Hospital and work collaboratively with other community health services.
The Aging at Home team Is unique in the sense that its completely mobile, and Is easily recognized in
the white van with the Rapid Response Team and GBACHC logos. The GBACHC is excited about meeting
the needs of seniors within its community and surrounding areas.