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Editorial: Time to get tough on litterbugs

Why do these scofflaws get away with such thoughtlessness?
Litter
An example of a litter clean up in Coquitlam. Littering and dumping junk is getting out of hand.

Who litters and why?

It’s a frustrating issue as tonnes of garbage is dumped each year on city streets, in lanes and along boulevards in the form of discarded furniture, cigarette butts, needles, fast-food wrappers, beer cans, dog waste bags and other detritus.

Luckily, there are volunteers who adopt streets, pick up needles and clean shorelines to remove some of this junk.

But why do people dump it?

Could there be more solutions? Already, Fraser Health is trying to make a difference with needle-collection boxes in handy locations; Port Coquitlam is collecting dog waste; the Austin Heights Business Improvement Association in Coquitlam is taking responsibility for cigarette butts; and local and senior governments do some litter clean-up,too.

Maybe there should be more enforcement.

It’s not OK that we turn our planet into a giant trash heap. A hard-nosed campaign helped Coquitlam reduce early set-out of garbage that was attracting bears — including fines and education. Maybe it’s time the cities got tough with litterbugs, too.