With a mechanical claw and garbage bag in hand, Brian Cooper walks up to 10 kilometres a day, picking up trash through the streets of downtown Halifax.
From chip bags to coffee cups, Cooper says he mostly picks up things people carry around.
“They finish with whatever they have, and they just drop it on the ground,” he says.
He won’t say the oddest item he’s picked up, but Cooper says every piece of clothing you can imagine has been found in downtown Halifax.
“I found a pregnancy test once; it was negative, that was good. I’ve found a few wallets and credit cards, and I turn those into the police.”
He started picking up trash at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and in 2021, Copper says he picked up more than 6,000 face masks.
“On a daily basis, I get 30 to 50, the most in one day was 132.”
This Sunday, Copper says his grandson and granddaughter will join him on his walk.
“I love this city, it’s a beautiful place to live, and I want to make it that more beautiful.”
