Clean up Langley Day

Clean up Langley Day is happening Saturday, April 29, 2023!

Join the Township of Langley as we show our streets, parks, trails, and creeks a little love by collecting litter discarded in public spaces! For this event, families, individuals, businesses, and community groups are invited to help keep the Township beautiful by taking part in Clean Up Langley Day, held annually.

Participants can choose to work in a specific neighbourhood or park, and all necessary supplies—gloves, safety vests, garbage pickers, and garbage bags—will be provided by the Township to those who register in advance (by April 21, 2023).

Cleanups can take anywhere from 30 minutes to a few hours, and are a great opportunity to make a difference, get to know your neighbours, and become environmental stewards of your community at the same time.

Clean up Langley Day 2023

Date: Saturday, April 29
Time: 9:00am – 2:00pm
Address: Various locations throughout the Township

Choose how you want to get involved

Host a Community Cleanup Event

Hosting a community cleanup means that it is open to the community if other people want to join. Once we process your registration, we’ll post your organization’s name and cleanup location, inviting others to join your group. When volunteers sign up to join your cleanup crew, we’ll let you know.

Or

Join a Community Cleanup Event

If you are not interested in hosting your own cleanup, you are welcome to join a cleanup!

Registered cleanups happening in the Township on April 29:

Area	Host Organization	Meeting Spot	Start Time
Langley Meadows	Langley Meadows Community Association	Langley Meadows Elementary School (2244 Willoughby Way)	9:00am
Around Langley Events Centre	ENVision Foundation	In front of Gate 2 at the Langley Events Centre	1:00pm

Or

Host a Private Cleanup Event

Hosting a private cleanup means that you are not interested in making your event open to the public. You may wish to keep this for a specific group of people (e.g., business group).

Registration

Thank you for registering to be part of Clean up Langley Day. Registration for 2023 cleanup events has now closed.

Frequently asked questions

How do I register?

Thank you for registering to be part of Clean up Langley Day. Registration for 2023 cleanup events has now closed.

How do I pick a cleanup location?

Join existing cleanups happening around the Township or start a new one! If you want to host or conduct your own, look around your neighbourhood to see where you might want to start. Is there a street, park, trail, or creek that could benefit from a little elbow grease? If so, rally your neighbours and friends and bring it back to its original splendour. Please note that locations are awarded on a first come-first served basis. The Clean Up Langley Day Coordinator will approve your final location once it has been reviewed.

How do I dispose of the garbage we collect?

Garbage can be disposed of in three ways:

Pre-Register to Have Your Garbage Collected on Event Day: If you are hosting a cleanup and expect a fair bit of waste, place the garbage in a specific location after your cleanup. This location you will have to indicate in your registration form. After the event, Sierra Waste will pick up the garbage if it is in the designated area (e.g., at the front of a park, end of a driveway, on the side of a road). Please ensure that the material is not blocking or impeding traffic or site lines.
Note: For this option, you will need to pre-determine where you will place the garbage and note this in your registration. Have the garbage ready for the hauler to pick up by 2pm.

Place at Curb on Collection Day: If you are conducting your own cleanup and you receive municipal garbage pick up, you can place small amounts outside with household garbage. Sierra Waste will pick up garbage form your cleanup if it is place beside your garbage cart on collection day and in the appropriate clean up bag. For this option, be sure to place the garbage collected form the cleanup in the orange or yellow bags provided with the logo visible from the street.

Fill Out a Clean Up Report: If you do not receive municipal garbage collection OR if you forgot to request a pickup in your initial registration form, you can request a pickup by filling out an online Clean Up Report or by calling 604-532-7300. Make sure that the waste is left in a visible location by the road (not blocking or impeding traffic or site lines) and that it is all collected in the orange or yellow bags provided for the cleanup (with the logo visible from the street).

What supplies will be provided?

For those who register in advance (by April 21, 2023), the Township will provide:

Gloves
Safety Vests
Garbage Pickers
Program-specific garbage bags

In the days leading up to the event, hosts can arrange to pick up their supplies, which must be booked in advance. Hosts are also required to arrange for supplies to be dropped back following the event (not including bags of garbage, that should be disposed of appropriately).

How long does a cleanup last?

Cleanups can take anywhere from 30 minutes to a few hours. All groups must be finished by 2 pm. This will give the hauler time to collect the garbage.

Why host a cleanup? What does hosting involve?

Hosting a cleanup is easy and fun! You get to spend quality time outdoors with your friends (and maybe even make some new ones), remove litter from your community, and inspire others to take initiative and clean up regularly.
As a host, you get to lead your team and organize your crew’s efforts. Don’t worry—we are here to help you along the way. Once we process your registration, we’ll post your organization’s name and cleanup location, inviting others to join your group. When volunteers sign up to join your cleanup crew, we’ll let you know. We’ll also ensure you have enough cleanup supplies, signage, and provide you a list of who to expect on Clean Up Langley Day. On the day of the event, your hosting duties will include operating a welcome station for the volunteers joining your cleanup, handing out supplies, outlining safety guidelines, and suggesting cleanup routes. You’ll also coordinate for all collected garbage to be placed at the designated pick-up spot at the end of the event.

Do you have more questions about Clean Up Langley Day? Contact us by emailing adopt@tol.ca or giving us a call at 604-532-7300

Guide to safe litter cleanup

Review these safety guidelines with volunteers prior to starting your cleanup.

Who is the contact and what is their role?

Determine a representative from your group to be the contact person.

The contact person is responsible for submitting all required documentation and serves as the liaison between the Township and any volunteers represented. The contact is also responsible for reminding volunteers to use good judgment and safe practice during clean up activities. The items in this guide should be discussed with the group prior to each clean up event.

Remember: safety first! Under no circumstance is the welfare of a participant to be compromised during cleanup activities.

COVID-19 Safety Precautions

The following are general guidelines that may help reduce the risk of contracting or spreading COVID-19 while conducting a litter cleanup. Learn more about COVID-19 from the BC Centre for Disease Control and always follow the latest BC COVID-19 guidelines and Provincial Health Orders.

Practice physical distancing from others when in public spaces such as streets and parks, maintaining at least 2 m (6 ft) between you and anyone outside of your immediate household or core bubble. If physical distancing can not be maintained, masks must be worn.
Do not use your hands to pick up litter, instead use the picker tool provided.
Wearing gloves and non-medical face masks are recommended (not supplied).
Avoid sharing supplies. Vests and picker tools can be labelled with a sticky label or masking tape and stored in separate garbage bags. Extra supplies are available upon request.
Do not participate in cleanup activities or pick up/drop off supplies if you feel sick in any way.
If you do feel sick, complete the BC COVID-19 Self-Assessment Tool, and seek appropriate medical attention by calling 8-1-1, your physician or an Urgent and Primary Care Centre.

General Safety Tips

Avoid horseplay while working.
Keep an adequate supply of water.
Report your cleanup activities to your program coordinator as indicated on the Clean Up Report
form. Include significant irregularities and report injuries immediately.
Always wear the safety vests provided or other high-visibility clothing.
Do not use alcohol or drugs while working. Smoking and vaping are not permitted during cleanups.
Participants should wear suitable footwear – boots or closed-toe shoes.
Dress appropriately for the weather (sunscreen, hat, warm gloves, etc.).
Avoid use of headphones/earbuds or restrictive clothing.

Working on Streets

Work on one side of the street at a time.
Pick up litter walking against traffic. This ensures all volunteers are facing oncoming traffic and are aware of dangers.
Leave garbage bags at each Adopt-a-Program sign, if possible. If bags are too heavy, leave them at the location where filled.

Emergencies

Keep a cell phone handy or know where the nearest phone is.
Have transportation available.
Know the quickest route to the nearest hospital in case of a serious injury.

Safety checklist

Discuss the cleanup route.
Take note of any areas of concern or potential danger, such as high traffic areas or locations where there is limited vision of approaching traffic.
Supervise minors.
Ensure a responsible adult is present to supervise minors.
Prepare your materials.
Make sure you have all tools and materials required to complete your task safely and efficiently. Check that your equipment is in good working condition.
Review safety instructions with participants:

- Watch for vehicles and bicycles.
  Drivers may not expect to see volunteers working; participants should watch for approaching vehicles.
- Obey traffic regulations.
  Volunteers should obey all signals and traffic lights and use intersections and marked crosswalks, where available.
- Handle dangerous refuse carefully.
  See table below for further reporting.
- Never reach blindly to pick up an item.
  Use a tool or stick to identify the item before picking it up.
- Work in pairs if possible.
  Working in pairs is safer than working alone as it allows volunteers to look out for each other.

Contact numbers

In the event of an emergency	9-1-1
Needle pick up	604-812-5277
To report an environmental spill	1-800-663-3456
Adopt-a-Program information and sign requests	604-532-7300 adopt@tol.ca
Illegal dumping, hazardous waste pick up, and other Township inquiries	604-532-7300 opsinfo@tol.ca

How to handle different materials

Hazardous items (syringes, chemicals, roadkill)	Volunteers must not handle hazardous litter. Objects containing corrosive chemicals (e.g. car batteries) or objects that bio-hazard items – used condoms, diapers, gloves, face masks, tissues and wipes may carry harmful bacteria or disease (e.g. dead animals, syringes, etc.) should not be touched. Flag the location where items are found and report for pickup using the online Clean Up Report form or by calling the Township of Langley.
Bio-hazard Items – Used condoms, diapers, gloves, face masks, tissues and wipes	Use picker tool provided to pick up and place in garbage bag.
Broken glass and other sharp items	Dangerous refuse such as broken glass or other sharp objects must be handled carefully to avoid injury. Litter pickers are provided for this purpose. It is a good idea to designate one person to pick up dangerous items with a litter picker, especially if children work in your group. Put broken or sharp objects in a rigid container or wrap in paper before putting in the bag.
Large and heavy items	Do not lift large or heavy items. Instead make note of the location and report for pickup using the online Clean Up Report form or by calling the Township of Langley.
Recyclables	If clean (not full of dirt or liquid), recyclables such as bottles and cans can be separated and placed in the blue box or returned to a Recycling Depot for recycling. If the item is too dirty, it must be disposed of as garbage.