Trashformers discouraged by 'pretty bad' litter in Cape Breton

Students hired to clean up litter in the Cape Breton Regional Municipality are discouraged that the problem never seems to improve.

The Trashformers program a combined effort between the municipality and ACAP Cape Breton is five years old.

"It's really surprising because you'd think after doing it the Trashformers have been doing it for a long time it would kind of be better, improving, but it's still pretty bad," said Sarah Hamilton, this year's team leader.

"It's the same, pretty much, as last year."

Since the snow melted a few weeks ago, the litter squad has picked up hundreds of plastic and glass bottles, aluminum cans and condoms.

Caitlin O'Brien, ACAP Cape Breton's education co-ordinator, said the Trashformers have picked up 1,600 disposable coffee cups in the past week alone.

She's mystified by the amount of garbage, most of it on the side of the road.

"I don't think it's a lack of education," she said. "I think there is still quite a bit of education about littering. I don't know what we can change. I think we just keep doing what we're doing and hope people smarten up."

The Trashformers are most discouraged by returning to an area they cleaned just a week ago and finding it littered again.

In the last few weeks, the team has filled more than 20 garbage bags a day with tossed trash.