Steinbach has retained its title as the cleanest city in North America according to the Canadian Beverage Container Recycling Association. Ken Friesen of Steinbach is the executive director. He says the association this week released the results of its annual independent litter audit and the results for Steinbach are remarkable.

"Steinbach has done very well once again. In fact, it has halved its beverage container litter, or has cut its beverage container litter by another 50%. The numbers were already remarkably low and Steinbach has done even better in 2019. It's quite an amazing story."

Friesen says when they started doing the annual litter audits in Steinbach in 2013, it was already a very tidy city and he is amazed that it continues to improve. Littering of beverage containers has dropped by a further 85 per cent in the past six years. He believes part of the reason is the annual 'Pick Up and Walk' clean-up event each spring, which helps to educate people.

"When I did that with my grandchildren, you pick up litter for a couple of hours and you realize just how bad it is if you litter. I think it helps change people's behaviour. Hats off to Steinbach, it is doing very,very well."

Meanwhile, Friesen urges all of us to take the time to learn which items are recyclable. For example, he notes takeout coffee cups are not recyclable and when they are put into recycling, the residue contaminates the other items.

"It adds tremendous sorting costs for the sorting facilities, including Eastman Recycling in Steinbach and it also downgrades the revenue that one gets for the material and makes it harder to sell. People's motivation is often correct, they are just not aware that in Manitoba and many jurisdictions, coffee cups are not recyclable at this point."