The letters in the word idiot stand for illegal dumper in our township. An illegal dumper, or litterer, is someone who does not properly dispose of their waste and instead leaves it on the sidewalk, in a ditch, or another public place. The word idiot is used because dumping waste where it doesn’t belong is not wise - illegal dumping of waste is an eyesore, hazardous to our environment and public safety, and costs taxpayers over $400,000 a year to cleanup. In workshops held during the campaign development, the public helped decide that a bold statement is needed to address this big problem!

The campaign refers to our township because the community belongs to all of us. As residents we have the responsibility to keep our home clean, safe, and beautiful. We all have a part to play in stopping illegal dumping by properly disposing of our waste and reporting offenders.

Hashtags can be used on social media such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to tag images. A hashtag is used in front of the campaign name for a few reasons: the use of a hashtag is relevant to current pop culture and helps add to the humour of the campaign; the hashtag implies that the campaign is viral (i.e. widespread on the internet) which will help bring attention to the anti-illegal dumping message and waste disposal resources; tagging #idiot on social media can enter you to win prizes - see below for more information.

Municipalities in Canada, the United States, Australia, and Britain have run successful education campaigns to reduce litter and illegal dumping. The Township’s campaign is founded on the principles of other successful campaigns, public consultation, and the experience of marketing experts. Together with enforcement and infrastructure, education can help reduce litter and illegal dumping by bringing awareness to proper disposal options and the negative consequences of illegal dumping.

In the fall of 2015, staff held two stakeholder workshops with ION Brand Design to gather public opinion for an illegal dumping marketing campaign. In these workshops the public told us that they wanted the campaign to be direct, engaging, and honest. The #idiot campaign directly speaks to illegal dumpers, engages the public through humour and shock-and-awe, and honestly portrays the frustration many residents feel when they come across illegally dumped material in our Township.

The #idiot campaign may surprise some families with its word choice. Although the word idiot may be unusual language for a municipal campaign, its bluntness and humour works effectively with the message of illegal dumper in our township. Some families may consider idiot to be an inappropriate word for their children to repeat; this aligns with the campaign’s goal to ensure that children, parents, and other individuals understand that illegal dumping and littering is unacceptable – like repeating a “bad word”.

Children are often some of the best educators in a community but the Township acknowledges that it is not always appropriate to teach adults and children in the same manner. As the Township continues to work with local schools on anti-litter and illegal dumping education, a modified version of the campaign without the word “idiot” will be introduced in elementary schools.

Take a look at the Litter and Illegal Waste Management Strategy , or pick up a hard copy at the Civic Facility (20338 65 Avenue) or Operations Centre (4700 224 Street)

The Township of Langley currently uses the Bylaw Offence Notice system for the issuance of bylaw offence notices; and the maximum penalty under this system is $500.

The Bylaw Offence Notice system allows the Township and recipients to deal with disputes at the local level, rather than through the Provincial Court System, therefore reducing the costly, time-consuming process associated with disputing violation notices through the Provincial Court System.

The new Solid Waste Management Bylaw 2016 No. 5200 , approved by Council in May 2016, states that a resident can be fined for miss-management of waste. This means that dumpers do not necessarily have to be caught in the act to be fined. Evidence pertaining to the generator of the waste may be used in enforcing the management of solid waste.