There's approximately 7,500 kilometres of shoreline in Nova Scotia and Angela Riley has covered most of it - picking up garbage.
"If we are around Eastern passage here or Halifax, it’s a lot of those single use plastics, cigarette butts, dog poop bags, all that consumer plastic. But if you go down to the Bay Of Fundy or Southwest Nova Scotia it’s probably 80% old fishing gear," says Riley.
Riley started Scotian Shores less than two years ago. Initially a one person effort, it has since expanded to 500 volunteers across the province.
The trash tally in August 2020, and in that time, they've collected a shocking amount of garbage.
"Collaboratively, with all the different people that have joined with us, we are just under 150,000 pounds of shoreline debris," Riley says.
The group's work isn't going unnoticed by those who frequent the coast.
"I think it’s amazing that they’ve done that and can get out and collect so much. It’s hard to believe there’s so much around our shoreline," says Mary Duchense.
Most of what the group collects ends up in a landfill, although efforts are being made at the provincial level to find a way to recycle rope.
A small portion of what's found is used in art pieces.
"We sell some of our repurpose things, we have bracelets with sea glass and our mats and our baskets," says Riley.
That money then goes back into further coastal cleanups due to Scotian Shores not receiving any government funding, yet.
"That’s the word I like to focus on 'yet', it’s going to change because if we keep doing the work that we’re doing you can’t ignore it, it needs to be done,” says Riley.
