Motivated by their love of the Great Lakes, and growing awareness about the problem of plastic pollution in the lakes, volunteers will head out to beaches around the region tomorrow, Saturday, September 21, as part of the annual Alliance for the Great Lakes September Adopt-a-Beach event. T
he event, which is part of the global International Coastal Cleanup, is the biggest annual day of action for the lakes. In addition to keeping Great Lakes beaches safe and clean, the cleanups keep thousands of pounds of plastic pollution out of the lakes. A vast majority – approximately 85% – of the litter picked up at cleanups each year is plastic.
According to researchers at the Rochester Institute of Technology, more than 22 million pounds of plastic pollution end up in the Great Lakes every year. Plastic pollution never really goes away. Instead, it just breaks down into smaller and smaller pieces known as “microplastics.” Researchers have found high amounts of tiny plastic pieces in all five Great Lakes, which provide drinking water for 40 million people.
“Adopt-a-Beach volunteers are on the front lines of fighting plastic pollution in the Great Lakes,” said Joel Brammeier, Alliance for the Great Lakes President & CEO. “The September Adopt-a-Beach events not only clean up our beaches, but they also raise awareness about the plastic pollution problem in the lakes. We hope the cleanups inspire everyone to find ways to reduce the use of single-use plastic items in their day-to-day lives. It’s an easy step everyone can take to reduce plastic use.”
In 2018, more than 6,300 volunteers picked up 11,655 pounds of litter at more than 240 cleanup events around the lakes. Volunteers find a wide range of items including cigarette filters, water bottles, food containers, and even left behind beach toys.
More information about the Alliance’s Adopt-a-Beach program, including how to find events in your community, can be found at www.greatlakes.org/adoptabeach.
