Plastic Pollution

The issue: Plastic pollution is a problem in the Great Lakes. Research from the Rochester Institute of Technology estimates that over 22 million pounds of plastic enter the Great Lakes each year. 

Why this matters: Over time plastic breaks down into smaller and smaller pieces and particles that can end up in drinking water and living organisms in the lakes. These microplastics may eventually be ingested by humans when we eat or drink something with lake origin. Plastic particles have even been found in beers brewed in the Great Lakes region. While the full impact on the animal and human body is not known, there are concerning aspects of humans ingesting about a credit card sized amount of plastic each week (an official estimate according to the Alliance for the Great Lakes).    

What actions can you take? 

Reduce your own plastic use. Think more expansively than just eliminating single-use plastic drink containers and grocery bags – although do these for sure! Could you eliminate ziploc and single-use snack bags? Could you replace hand soap and dish soap containers with a permanent container and purchase larger refill containers? Could you replace a takeout order with eating in a restaurant or cooking at home? Could you forgo one to-go coffee a week? The Alliance for the Great Lake has a plastic-free toolkit for download if you want to explore more possibilities.

Learn more about the concept of extended producer responsibility. Creating new laws around this concept would require plastic producers to be responsible for their products through the product’s full lifecycle. Over time these laws would force producers to eliminate the most harmful plastics, pay for disposal, or produce less plastic. You can visit the Alliance for the Great Lakes action center to send congressional delegates a message requesting they support extended producer responsibility legislation. 

Lead or participate in beach clean-ups if you live near a Great Lake. More about this in my next post. Stay tuned!