PORT COQUITLAM, BC – Sept. 9, 2019… A street litter pickup service in Port Coquitlam is part of a new city cleanliness project.

The city has assigned a parks worker to pick up litter five days a week along designated high-traffic routes, while also acting as a city representative and watching for problems such as uneven sidewalks and broken streetlights.

“Litter pickup is the kind of essential service our residents are asking for, and it will also give us a greater presence on our streets so we can be more responsive and proactive,” Mayor Brad West said. “This is part of getting the basics right, and meeting our obligations to provide a clean city. It’s also about making sure Port Coquitlam continues to be a place that people are proud to call home, and want to visit and invest in.”

The litter clean-up areas were selected based on pedestrian traffic, litter volume and a recent audit of city litter cans. They include Port Coquitlam’s downtown, Coast Meridian Road, the Dominion Triangle area, Westwood Street, Broadway Street, Prairie Avenue, Pitt River Road, Shaughnessy Street and several streets in Citadel Heights.

The worker will separate recyclable litter from garbage on the spot. The litter audit showed that more than 80 per cent of litter in Port Coquitlam is recyclable.

“Our staff will be setting an example out there by picking up litter and reducing what we send to the landfill,” said Cllr. Darrell Penner, Council’s designate for public works and transportation issues. “We hope it will build community pride and also encourage residents to pitch in – even by simply using the 400-plus litter cans we already provide throughout the city.”

The cleanliness project is one of several city initiatives Port Coquitlam has launched to provide exceptional customer service to the community.

A series of community cleanup events are being planned, starting on Sept. 21 at Lions Park. Residents are invited to gather at Lions Park from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sept. 21 – World Cleanup Day – to help pick up trash in the park and along the trails and riverbank.

Litter pickup equipment will be provided, but participants are advised to dress for the weather, wear closed-toe shoes and bring work gloves. Refreshments will be provided.

Details about the Sept. 21 cleanup will be posted at www.portcoquitlam.ca/ambassadors prior to the event, or residents can phone 604-927-5254 for information. The event is being organized through Port Coquitlam’s Ambassador outreach program, which educates citizens on how they can do their part by sorting their waste properly, following the water-use restrictions, and securing their waste to keep bears away.

The City also launched its See It? Report It program earlier this year which encourages City staff and residents to report city-related problems they spot around town, whether it be a broken streetlight, illegal dumping, a pothole, vandalism at a city building, or a bylaw infraction. Problems can be reported 24/7 at www.portcoquitlam.ca/report, the free PoCo Waste-line app (available at www.portcoquitlam.ca/wasteline) or by voicemail at 604.927.3111.

Individuals, families or groups can also volunteer for Adopt-a-SPOT to help keep a section of street, park or trail clean for a certain period of time. Details are available at www.portcoquitlam.ca/spot.

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MEDIA CONTACTS

Pardeep Purewal
Manager of Communications & Admin Services
City of Port Coquitlam
Tel 604.927.5335 Cel 604.218.0533
Email purewalp@portcoquitlam.ca