Special events in Vancouver, Toronto and Halifax to mark the occasion on September 17

CANADA, Sept. 17, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, Ocean Wise, a leading global ocean conservation organization, marks an impactful milestone by welcoming the Ocean Wise Shoreline Cleanup’s one millionth volunteer.

To help Ocean Wise honour the Shoreline Cleanup’s achievements, local leaders will join in hosting public events across Canada, including:

• Halifax Mayor Mike Savage, MLA Lisa Lachance, attending the event at Black Rock Beach at Point Pleasant Park in Halifax, NS

• MPP Mary-Margaret McMahone, attending the event at Woodbine Beach Bark in Toronto, ON

• Deputy Mayor for the City of Vancouver, Melissa De Genova attending the event at English Bay Beach Park in Vancouver, BC

The celebration is occurring on International Coastal Cleanup Day, an important awareness moment and opportunity to take direct action to address issues impacting ocean health.

In addition, anyone over the age of 18 registered for an Ocean Wise Shoreline Cleanup in Canada on September 17 will be entered in a contest for a chance to win a pair of roundtrip Air Canada tickets valid for travel between Canada and any destination Air Canada flies worldwide, courtesy of Air Canada (excludes registrations in Quebec. Conditions and restricted travel periods apply).

Since 1994, the Ocean Wise Shoreline Cleanup (previously known as the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup) has hosted 30,542 cleanups, collecting more than 2.1 million kilograms of trash across Canada’s shorelines. The initiative’s presenting sponsor is Loblaw Companies Limited, partnering with Ocean Wise to drive environmental action and fight climate change.

As a direct action program, the Shoreline Cleanup addresses the serious issue of litter and plastic pollution. According to the UN Environmental Programme, 400 million tonnes of plastic waste is produced globally each year, and production of primary plastic is forecast to reach 1,100 million tonnes by 2050. An alarming portion of this ends up as litter, polluting the environment.

Ocean Wise is also announcing a new call-to-action via a joint statement with Loblaw, Tru Earth and other partners including O’Neill, Corona, Wheaton and Air Canada. The statement calls for Ocean Wise Shoreline Cleanup volunteers to recover over two million kilograms of trash by the end of 2025.

Speaking on the importance and impact of the Ocean Wise Shoreline Cleanup, Ocean Wise President, Lasse Gustavsson, said:
“International Coastal Cleanup Day is an important moment that Ocean Wise honours each year by inspiring direct action via shoreline cleanups across North America. Over 13 million tonnes of plastic end up in the ocean each year, and much of this litter enters the environment far upstream. Our efforts today and in the future will help protect shorelines and waterways in our communities, places vitally important to the health of the world’s oceans.”