VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – If you’re going to hit the sand this weekend to enjoy what’s left of the summer, be sure to keep the beach clean before you leave.

That’s the message the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup is trying to get across when it comes to the dangers of litter in our waters.   

Cigarettes, food wrappers, and plastic bottles are just some of the things you’ll find in our oceans, says Jill Dwyer with the cleanup.

And most of this garbage comes from recreational activities on land.
    
“The reason we don’t want it to enter the water is because it can negatively impact the animals that live there, they can ingest it and  choke and die or they can also get entangled in it,” she explains.

Dwyer says humans are to blame.

“The majority of shoreline litter is actually land based coming from recreational  activity, so it’s things like cigarette butts,  food wrappers, beverage bottles, plastic bags, you know people are more careful with these kinds of items,” she says.

In about two weeks, people in communities all over the country will take part in the cleanup. The kick-off in Metro Vancouver happens at Iona Beach in Richmond.