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Roadside Littering Down in PEI

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Khatir Soltani
Prince Edward Island has some of the most beautiful scenic drives in Canada, but just like everywhere else, litter can sometimes spoil the view. However, drivers in PEI seem to have developed a very good habit: they have drastically stopped throwing their litter on the side of the road.


In a first survey since 2005, the provincial government has discovered that roadside littering has gone down by almost two-thirds. In spring, researchers from the Southeast Environmental Association counted and classified litter from 100-metre-long sections of highway at 46 sites across the province. They then compared the results with a similar survey done in 2005.

According to Environment, Energy and Forestry Minister Richard Brown, the numbers show a great reduction in littering.

“In 2005, there was an average of 152 pieces of litter collected from each of these sites. In 2009, that average was down to just under 53 pieces per site. That suggests that fewer people are littering in this province. It’s great news,” explained Brown.

Changing behaviors
These new numbers prove Islanders are taking better care of the landscape, believes Sarah-Jane Bell, chair of the Southeast Environmental Association.

“Disposable cups from various fast food outlets were the most common littered item found in the survey. The difference wasn’t significant between urban and rural sites, but sites with the most litter were located about 20 minutes from the store in which it was purchased. Clearly some people throw out their waste when they have consumed the products rather than waiting until their next stop,” she observed.

“The challenge is to change this behavior which comes down to taking responsibility for proper disposal,” added Bell.

More cans
Cups, mostly from takeout restaurants, remain the most popular item in the litter surveys, followed by cans (4.76 per site), cup lids (4.46 per site) and plastic bottles (3.57 per site).

Interestingly, while all the other items in the top categories decreased since the last survey in 2005, beer and pop cans actually showed up more often on the side of the road. Environment, Energy and Forestry Department attributes this increase to the fact that in 2005, sales of carbonated drinks in metal containers were prohibited on the Island. That ban was lifted in 2008.

“While we saw an increase in cans among roadside litter, that was offset by a decrease in the number of glass bottles that were recovered. More to the point, the bottles found at roadside in past years included many bottles that were broken and not returnable. All the cans found this year have been sent for recycling through the province’s Beverage Container Management System,” pointed out Minister Brown.

In its results, the Southeast Environmental Association concludes that compared to other regions in North America, there is less roadside litter in PEI.

“This is most likely attributable to the roadside cleanup implemented each spring by the Women’s Institute and the growing Adopt-A-Highway program that has a spring cleanup. In addition, the PEI Department of Transportation and Public Works has staff cleaning the ditches along major arterial highways throughout the province each spring,” reads the report.

To find out what else was thrown away by drivers, consult the Roadside Litter Survey Report 2009 at
www.gov.pe.ca/enveng/litter/index.php3?number=62826 .


photo:Jupiter Images
Khatir Soltani
Khatir Soltani
Automotive expert
As a car enthusiast, he tests and compares vehicles from different categories through the eyes of the consumer, ensuring relevant and objective reviews.
  • Over 6 years experience as a car reviewer
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