On Wednesday, September 30, the Ayr Farmers Mutual team swapped their keyboards for garbage bags for our annual roadside cleanup. In just a couple of hours, we covered about 6km of Northumberland St. in Ayr, Ontario.
Why we do a roadside cleanup every year
Ayr Farmers Mutual has been part of this community since 1893, and Northumberland Street is a road many of us drive every day. We're neighbours looking after the place we call home, and when neighbours show up for each other, communities thrive. Taking care of the environment is just one way we can care for and support the people who live and work here.
For us, that starts close to home. A stretch of road can collect a surprising amount of garbage over the course of a year. Wind and rain can then carry it into ditches and green spaces, and eventually into local waterways.
The Government of Ontario estimates that almost 10,000 metric tonnes of plastic waste enters our lakes and rivers each year from Canada and the United States. Over time, plastic litter can also break down into tiny pieces called microplastics. Picking up garbage and litter before it gets washed away is one way we can help.
Our roadside cleanup is a day we look forward to every year. We're grateful to spend a morning outside with our team, garbage bags in hand. It's a small act, but it's an important one. Every bag filled helps keep a little more of Northumberland St. clean for everyone who uses it.
Did you know we have a Green Committee?
Ayr Farmers Mutual has a Green Committee. Committed to helping AFM do things a little greener, the committee plans, organizes, and carries out the roadside cleanup, along with other sustainability initiatives throughout the year.
Through the committee, we're also a member of Sustainable Waterloo Region, a local nonprofit that helps businesses and communities across the region become more sustainable. That connection has led to some pretty cool initiatives, like our microforest. We're thankful for the Green Committee, their leadership in sustainability, and everything they do to make days like this happen.
Litter-ally picture perfect
Here are a few moments from our roadside cleanup along Northumberland St. on September 30.
