Celebration of Light Fireworks, the Garbage Aftermath
byThis morning our pal and local photographer Tyler Ingram took to the shores of English Bay to capture some of the Celebration of Light fireworks aftermath. Crowds seemed to have ignore most of the black trash bins, some of which were toppled, as litter was strewn across the streets, sand, and grass.
It doesn’t matter where the crowds came from (whether it was from up the street or across a bridge) everyone needs to do their part in this situation. I passed quite a few garbage cans that were overflowing with bottles and recyclables on Davie Street the other night, which means many do have the right idea. However when you have this number of people, everything can simply pile up.
Crews are out there this morning picking up the mess that was left behind. The other two fireworks nights were no exception.
If you can carry food and drinks down to the beach, you then have the ability to carry the garbage you produce back up to a trash bin. Instead of packing that extra bottle of Crown Royal or six-pack of light lime beer (that will get confiscated or poured out by police) please pack a garbage bag and be a hero for those around you.
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Vancouver is clearly the victim of the massive crowd mentalist that arises every year during the fireworks – friends who live downtown usually blame the mess on people from Surrey, but I honestly think that it’s everyone there to blame… including Vancouverites, and probably Surrey folk as well, as well as every other city in the area.
Your suggestion is a good one – it’s easy to get caught in a mob mentality, but it’s also pretty easy (if enough people are involved) to adjust the attitude of the mob mentality to create a positive outcome for all 🙂
There is always garbage at public events – the more people, the more garbage. What makes it work out is pre-organizing volunteer crews to clean up after. I have done cleanup after the jazz fest in David Lam park and it is a great way to spend a couple of hours with other folks making the park absolutely pristine again. Party afterwards is good too. For Fireworks, everything seems to be pretty well cleaned up by the time I run by at 10 am the next morning. I can’t see this as much of a problem especially if you ever go camping on the forest service roads and see the long term mess that seems to be just left there for weeks when there is not enough people around to monitor & clean.
Isn’t the point though.. NOT to drop your garbage when there are trash bins within 10 feet of you? Yes, there are crews every morning cleaning up but they shouldn’t HAVE to clean up.
When I lived out in the valley and came into the city to watch the fireworks, I packed out what I packed in. I used the trash bins for whatever I didnt want to have to bring home. I hate seeing garbage laying around when there is a trash bin 5 feet from it. (same goes for hiking, and yes I have picked up other people’s garbage on trails before).
People are lazy. The thought that ‘Oh, someone will be paid to clean this up’ isn’t the mentality one should have. That paid civil worker who is cleaning up is using tax money to clean up a mess that could have been avoided 😉
Patrick- you’re right it’s not just us bridge kids! I was downtown on wednesday and your city is NOT THAT CLEAN, people. try walking past the Art Gallery at any given time after lunch…it’s not just on Fireworks night. I spent 2 weeks in Beijing in May and that city was WAY cleaner on the streets than ours.
I’m getting really tired of people blaming the suburbs,when our suburbs are way cleaner than the city! Maybe it’s just assholery,plain and simple.
The blame game accomplishes nothing.
It’s simple to carry a garbage bag and be responsible for yourself. This is something humans, as a whole, are capable of — and should practice in a world that has too much garbage already.
Just don’t be a pig. No matter where you live.
[…] at, but then a mass crowd can be particular lazy and inconsiderate. Rebecca also has a post about the aftermath of the Fireworks last […]
Natalie’s bang on. Why blame someone else for the problem, when regardless of where they are from, that we’re all supposed to be responsible people who can take care of themselves.
My theory is that whatever you pack-in, you pack-out. It’s that damn simple and doesn’t matter if you just cross the street or take a few bridges and a tunnel to get in.
It’s a shame… I don’t get it. Such a beautiful place, educated people… Anyway, just a shame.
I’m taking my skunky downtown trash out to Surrey this weekend to dump it on some random douchebag’s lawn. It’s only fair. 🙂
@Ian You are ignorant. That is all.
that mess isn’t that bad considering the amount of people down there. I was at pride in san francisco last year for and the mess there was incredible – you couldn’t step in many places without stepping on trash it was literally like a carpet – on the good side my friend found a pair of oakleys laying amongst it all