Impacts of Shoreline Litter

Each type of shoreline litter poses unique problems to our environment, but all litter makes our natural spaces less healthy, less safe and less enjoyable.

If not removed, shoreline litter items can have long term effects.

Effects on wildlife

Most of us know the harm that discarded six pack holders or forgotten fishing nets can do.

Animals are at a disadvantage when faced with harmful shoreline litter. Every year, numerous animals are injured or killed after encountering these and other types of litter in their environment.

The biggest dangers animals face from shoreline litter are entanglement and ingestion.

For information on endangered, extirpated or extinct species in Canada go to: Species At Risk.

Effects on ecosystems

The effects of shoreline litter on ecosystems and habitats can be far-reaching and long lasting. read more...

Effects on people

Not only plants and animals are at risk from aquatic garbage, we are too. In addition to being a visual and economic burden, shoreline litter also contributes to poor water quality. read more...

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Did you know?
Cigarette butt litter is the world's greatest environmental litter problem. It is estimated that 1 in 3 cigarettes end up as litter, and once littered, they can leach chemicals such as cadmium, lead and arsenic into our environment within an hour of contact with water. Year after year, cigarette butts are the most commonly found item during the TD Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup, and last year our participants collected over 214,000 of them.
What you can do:
If you smoke, make sure to dispose of your cigarette butts in the proper bins, or carry a personal cigarette disposal unit. If you don't smoke, encourage your friends to dispose of their cigarettes responsibly. You might also consider starting or getting involved in community campaigns to end cigarette litter!