Polystyrene foam – a plastic used to make single-used foam cups and food containers – is among the most polluting plastic products. Polystyrene foam doesn’t biodegrade in nature and is nearly impossible to recycle. Byproducts of polystyrene production can pollute the water, harming neighborhoods near factories.

Some of the most common items Adopt-a-Beach volunteers remove from Lake Michigan’s Illinois shorelines are foam take-out containers and pieces of polystyrene foam. While our volunteers are on the frontlines of keeping plastic out of Lake Michigan, we know that they are only able to pick up a fraction of the plastic pollution on our beaches. And once single-use polystyrene pieces end up in our waterways, it’s nearly impossible to clean them up.

The Illinois House of Representatives passed a bill earlier this week that would phase out single-use plastic polystyrene foam foodware. The bill is now being considered by the Illinois Senate.

We hope Illinois will join the eight states and roughly 200 cities and municipalities that have enacted bans on polystyrene foam containers.

The post Single-Use Plastic Foam Foodware Ban Advances to Illinois Senate appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.

Significant progress has been made in protecting and restoring the Great Lakes. But much more needs to be done. Too many Great Lakers experience polluted water, whether it is lead-tainted water coming from taps in homes or algal blooms fouling beaches. Invasive species threaten the lakes, and plastic pollutes our beaches and drinking water.  

In our 2023 federal policy priorities, we’ve identified the top five opportunities for Congress and federal agencies to address these challenges. Many of these priorities are familiar. Congress and the administration must keep up the momentum generated over the past few years to fix our water infrastructure, stop invasive species, and support on-the-ground restoration projects.  

Equity and justice are embedded throughout these policy priorities. Equity and justice must be considered at every step of the federal decision-making process to ensure that all Great Lakers have access to safe, clean, affordable water. Federal water programs must prioritize low-income communities and communities of color, where the burden of pollution often hits hardest. Repairing the long-term harm from environmental injustices isn’t a one-off action. Instead, Congress and the administration must ensure that community voices are at the table, and listened to, from the beginning of all decision-making.  

This year, we have two new priority areas focused on opportunities we’ve identified for the federal government to push forward new approaches to long-standing problems. First is the Farm Bill, which only happens every five years and sets national agriculture and food policy. We see an opportunity to improve federal agriculture subsidy programs to make sure farmers produce clean water, not pollution, along with their crops. Second, concern about plastic pollution continues to grow, and Congress can act to limit plastic pollution by reducing it at the source and not once it is a problem on our beaches and in our communities.  

Read on for full details of our 2023 Great Lakes federal policy priorities, or download the fact sheet to learn more.

Increase water infrastructure funding, prioritize funding for communities most in need 

The infrastructure bill passed by Congress late in 2021 was an important down payment to fix the nation’s failing and outdated water infrastructure. The funding will jump-start efforts to replace dangerous lead pipes, fix leaky pipes, and stop sewage overflows.  

However, the funding is only a start. It’s estimated that the Great Lakes region will need at least $188 billion over the next twenty years to fix our water infrastructure problems. Currently, the infrastructure bill will provide Great Lakes states with an additional $1.8 billion per year for the next five years. It is clearly not enough. We need to keep the pressure on Congress to provide additional funds for water infrastructure programs. Additionally, funding programs must be structured to ensure that money reaches communities with the highest need, such as those with many lead pipes. 

In 2023, we urge Congress to: 

• Increase annual funding to at least $8 billion for the Drinking Water and Clean Water State Revolving Funds  
• Increase by $1 billion annual funding levels for lead service line replacement and emerging contaminants  
• Pass a federal ban on water shutoffs 
• Establish a federal program to provide financial assistance for water and sewer bills 

In 2023 we urge the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to: 

• Work with states to ensure equitable distribution of infrastructure funding and provide technical assistance to disadvantaged and underserved communities  
• Complete the Drinking Water Needs Assessment in early 2023 to increase the amount of lead service line funding to Great Lakes states which have the highest number of lead pipes in the country

Download the water infrastructure fact sheet.

Pass a Farm Bill that prioritizes clean water 

Agriculture is the largest unaddressed source of nonpoint pollution in the Great Lakes region. Runoff from agricultural lands puts the Great Lakes at risk. It pollutes drinking water, threatens wildlife, harms the regional economy, and prevents people from enjoying recreation on the Great Lakes. 

Every five years, Congress develops a “farm bill,” a major package of legislation that sets the agenda and funding for national farm and food policy. In 2023, Congress can pass a Farm Bill that ensures farms produce clean water, not pollution, along with their crops.  

In 2023, we urge Congress to pass a Farm Bill that: 

• Increases funding for US Department of Agriculture conservation programs  
• Includes provisions to ensure accountability for farm conservation programs aimed at stopping runoff pollution from agricultural lands
• Reduces funding for concentrated animal feeding operations 

Pass legislation to stop plastic pollution  

Researchers estimate that 22 million pounds of plastic pollution enter the Great Lakes each year. Plastic pollution isn’t just an unsightly problem in our waterways. It’s estimated that humans ingest a credit card-sized amount of plastic each week, with unknown long-term consequences for our health. 

For many years, efforts to stop plastic pollution put the responsibility on the end-user, such as recycling. But only a fraction of plastic produced each year is recycled, leaving the remainder to end up in landfills or as litter that lands in our waterways. The alternative is to require plastic producers to be responsible for their products through their lifecycle, which is called extended producer responsibility. Congress has an opportunity to be a leader on this issue.  

In 2023, we urge Congress to pass legislation that: 

• Makes plastic waste producers responsible for its reduction 
• Reduces the federal government’s use of single-use plastics 
• Funds additional research on the public health impact of plastics

Download the plastic pollution fact sheet.

Protect the Great Lakes from aquatic invasive species  

Invasive species have caused irreparable harm to the Great Lakes ecosystem and cost the region billions of dollars since the late 1980s. Preventing them from ever entering is the best way to protect the Great Lakes. The battle against invasive species is focused on two fronts – stopping invasive carp from entering the Great Lakes and cleaning up ship ballast tanks.  

Established populations of invasive carp are only 50 miles from Chicago and Lake Michigan. But it’s not too late to prevent them from reaching the lakes. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has proposed constructing additional carp prevention measures at the Brandon Road Lock and Dam near Joliet, Illinois. The facility is a critical choke point in the waterways leading to Lake Michigan. Congress and federal agencies must continue to support this project.  

The St. Lawrence Seaway opened the Great Lakes to direct ocean-going shipping. Unfortunately, ships brought invasive species along for the ride in their ballast tanks. Although regulations to clean up ship ballast tanks have reduced introductions, loopholes remain for “lakers,” ships operating solely in the Great Lakes. The US EPA can close that loophole. 

In 2023, we urge Congress to: 

• Fund the next phases of construction of the Brandon Road project to stop invasive carp 

In 2023, we urge federal agencies to take the following actions: 

• The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers should continue implementing the Brandon Road project with public participation and work with the state of Illinois to finalize the project partnership agreement. 
• The U.S. EPA should issue rules requiring all vessels operating on the Great Lakes, including lakers, to clean up their ballast tanks.

Download the invasive species fact sheet.

Update and fund Great Lakes restoration programs 

The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) is one of the most important tools in the region’s toolbox to protect and restore the lakes. The program provides funding for on-the-ground restoration projects, from wetland restoration to cleaning up toxic hotspots. In addition to environmental benefits, GLRI funding garners an additional 3-to-1 return in economic benefits.  

While we need continued investment in Great Lakes restoration, the strategy guiding the GLRI was developed almost 20 years ago and needs an update. Federal agencies should revise the Great Lakes restoration strategy to address the next generation of threats to the lakes, including climate change and long-standing environmental injustices.  

In 2023, we urge Congress to: 

• Fund the GLRI with at least $425 million in FY24 

In 2023, we urge federal agencies to take the following actions: 

• The White House and U.S. EPA should update the Great Lakes action plan to address environmental injustice, climate resilience, and the next generation of risks to the Great Lakes.
• The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers should include large-scale natural infrastructure in the Great Lakes Coastal Resiliency Study to address extreme water level changes caused by climate change. 

Download the Great Lakes restoration fact sheet.

The post Top 5 Great Lakes Federal Policy Priorities for 2023 appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.

The Alliance for the Great Lakes manages the largest coastal Great Lakes litter database of its kind. But we are simply the stewards. The database exists because of the decades of contributions by thousands of community scientists across the region who volunteer each year with the Adopt-a-Beach program.

2022 saw a surge of new and returning volunteers. It was exciting to welcome back many experienced Team Leaders and volunteers, as well as connect with so many new ones. Each individual volunteer who showed up, each individual piece of litter dutifully tallied on a data sheet, each individual gathering of Great Lakes stewards is captured in these numbers.

2022 Adopt-a-Beach results

These numbers are also part of an important milestone that volunteers helped Adopt-a-Beach reach this year. Volunteers have collected more than half a million pounds of litter since the Alliance began tracking data in 2003! That’s half a million pounds of litter removed from our beach, our parks, and the source of our drinking water.

Data tells a story about plastic pollution

The data tells a story about volunteer participation and outreach efforts, and also about long-term trends in Great Lakes plastic pollution. Year after year, more than 80% of litter collected is plastic. 2022 was no exception.

The high plastic percentage is a signal that more systemic changes are needed – in addition to and beyond individual behavior change. We look forward to continuing to use the Adopt-a-Beach data to advocate for systemic solutions to plastic pollution.

Love, concern, & initiative

As Adopt-a-Beach staff visited volunteers across the region this season, a unifying theme that revealed itself was the deep pride and care Great Lakes residents have for our lakes. We saw and heard love, concern, and initiative everywhere we went.

Whether you participated in the Adopt-a-Beach program, are reading and learning more about Great Lakes issues, or have contacted elected officials about an issue that is important to you, thank you for taking action!

Check out past years’ data summaries here.

The post Adopt-a-Beach 2022: Year-End Results appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.

This post is by Sofia Johansson, who worked as the Alliance for the Great Lakes’ Public Policy and Governance Intern this summer. She is a third-year Environmental and Urban Studies major at the University of Chicago and is originally from Madison, Wisconsin. She is passionate about environmental justice, equity, and sustainability in planning and policy.

For more than 30 years, thousands of Adopt-A-Beach volunteers have helped clean up litter, most of it plastic, from beaches across the Great Lakes region. This year, the program reached a major milestone—half a million pounds of litter picked up since volunteers started collecting beach data nearly 20 years ago. But beach cleanups alone can’t solve the magnitude of the Great Lakes’ plastic problem. A more systemic solution is required.

Plastic has been found in Great Lakes fish dating back to the 1950s. That means, for nearly seven decades, there have been microplastics in our water—water we drink, swim in, fish from, and cherish. Most of that time, we didn’t know it was there. But now, the research is overwhelming. The amount of microplastics in the surface water of the Great Lakes is estimated at 1.2 million particles/km2. This is higher than plastic concentrations in the widely publicized Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Moreover, researchers estimate that over 22 million pounds of plastic enter the Great Lakes annually. That is an exorbitantly high amount of plastic, so why are we letting it continue?

The politics of plastic

The reasons often trace back to the political power of the plastic industry. They have focused on the individual responsibility of consumers rather than changes in industry practices. They also try to limit legislative action to measures promoting recycling, even though the US recycled less than 6% of its plastic waste in 2021, and recycling is considered an ineffective reducer of plastic pollution. But they do this to absolve industry of any responsibility and to make us think that individuals are responsible for plastic pollution as opposed to the plastic industry itself, which has promoted the use of plastics in almost every facet of our lives.

As such, the plastics lobby has repeatedly challenged legislation that creates meaningful systemic changes, such as single-use plastic bans, reductions in production, and extended producer responsibility.

Therefore, the Great Lakes states and the federal government have seriously lagged in plastic pollution policy. Five of the eight states have preemption laws, often called “bans on bans,” that prevent any level of local government from passing legislation to reduce plastic pollution. The plastics lobby has worked with the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) to develop a model preemptive bill for states to pass. And Congress has passed little legislation to deal with the scope of the problem.

What’s at stake?

But what’s at stake? What happens if we continue letting corporate interests and financial gain pollute our water? The Great Lakes are home to thousands of species, provide drinking water for 10% of Americans (and 25% of Canadians), and support a multi-trillion-dollar economy. Beyond the numbers, the Great Lakes are fundamental to the life and health of the Midwest.

Human health is a serious concern regarding plastics in our lakes. Though research is just beginning, microplastics have been found in Great Lakes tap water, beer, fish, and dozens of other consumables across the globe. Data compiled from several studies indicate that humans may ingest up to 5 grams of plastic a week, equivalent to the mass of a credit card. Researchers suggest most of the plastic humans ingest may come from drinking water and have detected plastic in our blood, lungs, hair, saliva, and stool.

The smaller the plastic, the more dangerous. Once in the body, microplastics may translocate, cross cell membranes, permeate tissue, and linger in human organs, potentially causing chronic inflammation. They also leach dangerous chemicals and toxins, such as phthalates, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and bisphenol A (BPA). These and other chemicals have been found in the water and microplastics of the Great Lakes. They are carcinogens, reproductive toxicants, and endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs). EDCs, which disrupt hormones and can cause metabolic changes, have been heavily linked to a long list of health issues, including diabetes, neurological diseases, many different cancers, and reproductive damage. In short, microplastics, which have been allowed to increase and accumulate in our water, could have devastating impacts on our health and the health of future generations.

Federal action is needed

Given that states are not dealing with this problem and local governments sometimes find their hands tied, it is imperative that the federal government take comprehensive action that puts the responsibility on the producer to truly reduce plastic pollution, protect Great Lakes ecosystems, and ensure our health. An essential first step at the national level is passing the Plastic Pellet Free Waters Act, introduced by Sen. Durbin of Illinois, which prohibits the discharge of plastic pellets and other pre-production plastic materials into our water from any point source. These pellets are commonly found on Great Lakes beaches. In addition to this first step, more is required to deal with the magnitude of the problem in a comprehensive fashion. Congress should also pass the Break Free from Plastic Pollution Act, which creates a national extended producer responsibility program, phases out single-use plastic products, and targets microplastics in the environment, along with many other comprehensive measures.

Plastic pollution is a growing threat to our environment and our health and will continue to be until Congress takes comprehensive action to address this problem. The time to act on this is now.

The post Why the Great Lakes Need Comprehensive Solutions to Plastic Pollution appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.

Last year marked the 30th anniversary of the Alliance for the Great Lakes’ Adopt-a-Beach program. As we dug into the data we’d collected, we realized the program was approaching a milestone. Beach by beach, team by team, Adopt-a-Beach volunteers had removed more than 465,000 pounds of litter from Great Lakes beaches and shorelines since 2003, when we started tracking litter in our online database.

So we set a big goal for 2022: reach half a million pounds of litter.

Today, we’re proud to announce that Adopt-a-Beach has reached that milestone. As of September 29, 2022, Adopt-a-Beach volunteers have removed 501,336 pounds of litter from Great Lakes beaches and shorelines. That’s 8,859,735 individual pieces!

This amazing achievement represents the work of more than 200,000 volunteers over the past twenty years. Community and faith groups. Families and businesses. Grade schools and high schools. Alumni organizations. Surfers, scuba divers, and professional mermaids. On all 5 Great Lakes. In all 8 Great Lakes states.

Their accomplishment shows the magnitude of what can be accomplished when Great Lakes communities work together – and also shines a powerful spotlight on plastic pollution in the Great Lakes. Year after year, more than 85% of the litter collected is made of plastic, a number we know due to volunteers’ dedication to collecting data in addition to keeping beaches clean.

Their stewardship is an expression of love for the lakes — done with a sense of pride and thanksgiving for this unique region we call home.

Thank you to all the Adopt-a-Beach Team Leaders, volunteers, and supporters who made this achievement possible. This couldn’t have happened without you!

Special thanks to this year’s top Adopt-a-Beach sponsors: Brunswick Foundation, Meijer, and Unilever.

Meet some of the volunteers who helped put Adopt-a-Beach over the top.

The post Adopt-a-Beach Reaches a Milestone appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.

Juliann Krupa is the Volunteer Engagement Manager at the Alliance for the Great Lakes. In this role, Juliann utilizes her passion for aquatic science and conservation to oversee over 15,000 Adopt-a-Beach program participants throughout the Great Lakes region and to inspire appreciation, conservation, and restoration of the world’s largest freshwater resource.

Resources

Adopt-a-Beach – Alliance for the Great Lakes

Adopt-a-Beach Spring Kickoff 2022 – Alliance for the Great Lakes

Plastic Free Great Lakes Pledge

The post Juliann Krupa: September Adopt a Beach Cleanup & Half a Million Pounds Goal appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.

Alliance: What was the catalyst for taking a cleanup road trip this summer?  

Juliann: After two years of the pandemic, Olivia and I wanted to make an intentional effort to get out and connect face-to-face with people and groups around the region. The Alliance for the Great Lakes works to represent the entire Great Lakes region. So that means all the way from New York to Minnesota. We felt it was essential to get on the ground in many places, reconnect with partners old and new, and hear directly what issues people are talking about in various regions.  

Olivia: It was helpful for us to see many of the locations where cleanups happen. A lot of times, volunteers will reach out wanting some recommendations in a particular area. So, it’s helpful for us to see some of these locations and help potential volunteers. 

Alliance: Were you able to ask the volunteers questions about why they got involved? 

Olivia  Yes, we did. It’s super helpful to speak to volunteers on the ground in their areas. We learned a lot about what volunteers care about in each area. So, it’s beneficial to see the locations ourselves and hear from local communities and volunteers about what’s most pressing for them in those areas.  

Alliance: Were there any interesting volunteer stories or volunteer adventures this summer?  

Juliann: We had one experience in Rochester, NY, where we met a volunteer at a cleanup. Afterward, they offered and were willing to show us around some sites where they had seen a lot of plastic pollution build-up.  

Olivia: For our first Spring KickOff cleanup this year, we had one of our corporate cleanups with Merz Pharma at Racine Zoo Beach. It was pouring rain, and it was not the warmest either, but they were real troopers. Moments like those emphasize how awesome our volunteers are and how they’re willing to help rain or shine.  

Alliance: Let’s talk about September Adopt–a–Beach a little bit. The date is approaching. Are there any specific goals you hope to achieve this year? 

Juliann: September Adopt-a-Beach is the most important day of action for the Great Lakes. Thousands of Adopt-a-Beach volunteers will clean and celebrate Great Lakes shorelines as part of the International Coastal Cleanup, which is held on the third Saturday of September each year.  

The Alliance is the Great Lakes coordinator for this effort. We hope to have around 5,000 volunteers across the Great Lakes on September 17th working to keep their coastlines clean and collecting data on what they find that goes back into our regional coastal litter dataset.  

This year we’re working to reach our goal of collecting half a million pounds of litter from Great Lakes shorelines. So, we’re close, and hoping September Adopt–a–Beach will bring us over that number.  

Olivia: We’re hoping to reach this goal, and it will shine a powerful spotlight on the magnitude of plastic pollution and continue to educate and inspire people to take action on this issue.”   

Alliance: For people who are thinking about volunteering for cleanups like September Adopt-a-Beach to do their part to keep our beaches and shorelines clean, how can they get involved? 

Olivia: It’s super easy to get started with us. There are a couple of different options to get involved with September Adopt–a–Beach; you can find a cleanup to attend in your area. So, you can go to adopt.greatlakes.org and find a cleanup near you to attend and register. 

Juliann: You can also become a Team Leader by hosting a cleanup with us. So, you can choose a date and beach location where you would like to lead a cleanup and invite your community members to attend. We have a lot of resources available to support you. 

Olivia: We also have a virtual Team Leader training coming up that you can attend and get some tips on the process of being a team leader and leading a cleanup. 

Alliance: What is the biggest takeaway from your summer road trip experience? 

Juliann: It was a great learning experience for both of us. We learned a lot more about the lakes, and it was great to make new connections and rekindle old relationships. We’re inspired by how much advocacy and action there is for the Lakes and how many people care about this resource and human health. 

Juliann and Olivia are not done touring the Great Lakes region. They have additional stops planned for the rest of August and September and look forward to keeping the conversations going over the winter. 

The post To the Beach: Adopt-a-Beach Cleanup Road Trip Recap  appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.

Plastic pollution is a major problem in the Great Lakes. More than 22 million pounds of plastic end up in the lakes every year. And plastic never really goes away. Instead, it just breaks up into smaller and smaller pieces known as “microplastics.”

Researchers have found stunningly high amounts of microplastics in all five Great Lakes, which provide drinking water for 40 million people. These microscopic pieces of plastic have been found in our drinking water, fish, and beer – and even in people’s blood.

Plastic pollution in the Great Lakes is going to get worse unless we do something about it. And there’s no better time to take action than in July.

Plastic Free July

Plastic Free July® is a global initiative that was founded by the Plastic Free Foundation. People all over the world will be taking action in July to reduce plastic pollution in our oceans, lakes, and rivers.

Here are 5 ways you can help the Great Lakes this Plastic Free July:

1. Learn more about plastic pollution: Listen to our chat with Dr. Sherri Mason, a leading expert on the threat of microplastics in the Great Lakes. And read about how Great Lakes plastic pollution is different from plastic pollution in the ocean. 
   
   
2. Celebrate a plastic-free 4th of July: Check out these 9 tips to keep plastic out of the Great Lakes during your holiday weekend. 
   
   
3. Commit to a new habit: Whether you say goodbye to plastic cutlery or take action in your own community, you can help reduce plastic pollution all year round. See our pledge for more ideas!
   
   
4. Volunteer with Adopt-a-Beach: Adopt-a-Beach cleanups are a fun, free, easy way to give back to your community and keep plastic pollution out of our Great Lakes. And this year you can help Adopt-a-Beach reach an important milestone: we’re aiming to reach half a million pounds of litter collected! Find a cleanup near you and sign up today. Or learn how to run a cleanup of your own.
   
   
5. Make it a movement: Have an even bigger impact by spreading the word. Tell your friends and family what you’re doing for Plastic Free July, and invite them to join in. An easy way to do this is by following Alliance for the Great Lakes on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn. We’ll be posting resources and activities you can share throughout the month.

Pick a way to reduce plastic pollution, and get started today!

The post 5 Ways to Celebrate Plastic Free July appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.

You know that plastic pollution anywhere is bad news. But how exactly is plastic pollution different in the Great Lakes compared to the ocean?

Here are five reasons why Great Lakes plastic pollution is different from ocean plastic pollution.

1. Generally, it’s really, really tiny.

Plastic never really goes away. It just breaks down into smaller and smaller pieces known as “microplastics.” These tiny pieces of plastic come from many sources. For example, washing clothing made of synthetic materials, like fleece, washes tiny fibers down the drain. Both large and small plastic pollution exists in the Great Lakes and the oceans. But, in our lakes and rivers, it’s what you don’t see that’s the problem.

2. It’s in our drinking water.

We don’t drink ocean water. But nearly 40 million people drink Great Lakes water. Because microplastics are so tiny and so prevalent in the lakes, they can make their way past water treatment facilities. Scientists have found microplastics in drinking water, beer—and even in human blood! (In case you were wondering, researchers found that some of the world’s most popular bottled water brands are even more likely to contain microplastics than tap water!)

3. It washes out, not up.

Plastic pollution travels differently in the Great Lakes compared to the oceans. In the world’s oceans, trash and debris can wash up from really, really far away places due to global ocean currents. In the Great Lakes, plastic pollution doesn’t come from an anonymous source far away. Plastic pollution flows out from our shorelines because we leave it there. Across the Great Lakes region, plastic travels through local watersheds and from beaches into the lakes before flowing with currents downstream. Eventually, tiny pieces of that litter flow out to the ocean, and our Great Lakes plastic pollution adds to the global ocean plastic problem.  

4. The water is different.

Saltwater is more dense than freshwater. Currents are different in the ocean and Great Lakes. Unlike parts of the Great Lakes, the oceans never freeze. All these factors affect how plastic pollution moves through the water, and how it breaks down.

5. There’s a lot less information about plastic pollution in the Great Lakes compared to ocean plastic pollution.

Scientists have been studying plastic pollution in the ocean for decades. But overall there is a lot less research about plastic pollution in the Great Lakes and freshwater. We’re lucky to work with some Great Lakes superstars whose research is beginning to fill in the gaps.

The post 5 Ways Plastic Pollution is Different in the Great Lakes appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.

You can help keep  plastic pollution out of our water. We’ve put together nine tips to help you have a plastic-free holiday weekend at the beach! Small changes make a huge difference.

1. Use a reusable water bottle.

Plastic bottles and bottle caps are among the most commonly picked up litter items on beaches. Skip the plastic drink bottles. Instead, use stainless steel or reusable water bottles and drink containers.

2. Bring reusable cutlery for your picnic.

Bring reusable cutlery instead of single-use plastic forks, knives, and spoons. Plastic never really goes away, it just breaks down into smaller pieces. Tiny plastic pieces can be consumed by wildlife and get in our drinking water — gross!

3. Skip the balloons.

It might be tempting, but don’t celebrate with balloons! They float away from your picnic table directly into the lake. Balloons take years to decompose and the ribbon is an entanglement risk for animals.

4. Choose paper, not plastic.

Pack your snacks in reusable containers or wax paper instead of plastic baggies. Paraffin-free wax paper decomposes significantly faster than plastic baggies, which can take nearly 1,000 years to decompose.

5. Recycling is an option.

Using plastic is sometimes hard to avoid. If you end up with some single-use plastic, make sure you recycle.

6. Tote it.

Use reusable bags. Bring the party, but not in plastic bags. Carry all the necessary items for your festivities in a reusable bag.

7. Skip the straw.

Plastic straws are only used for a few minutes, but take nearly 200 years to break down.

8. Help with cleanup.

Adopt-a-Beach cleanups are a fun, free, easy way to give back to your community and keep plastic pollution out of our Great Lakes. Find a cleanup near you and join in! If you don’t see a cleanup that works for you, become a Team Leader and set up one of your own.

9. Tell your friends.

Little actions make a big difference. Share your plastic-free tips and tricks with your friends, or share with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

The post 9 Tips for a Plastic-Free Summer Holiday at the Beach appeared first on Alliance for the Great Lakes.