Did You Know?
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22 MILLION pounds of plastic enters the Great Lakes every year! There is enough plastic waste in the Great Lakes to rival the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.
Three million pounds of plastic debris ends up in Lake Ontario each year. That's enough plastic waste to fill 28 Olympic-sized swimming pools. The majority of this waste comes from densely populated cities, like Chicago, Toronto, Cleveland and Detroit, as well as runoff from agricultural field, recreation, and shipping. Unlike marine plastics that tend to move towards large central ocean gyres, lake plastics are often taken to shore by wind and currents. Of the litter that washes ashore, roughly 80% is plastic debris. |
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Why is This Important?
The Great Lakes - Superior, Huron, Michigan, Erie and Ontario - make up the largest bodies of freshwater on the planet, accounting for nearly 1/5th of the surface water on the planet (that's 6 QUADRILLION gallons!!!).
Lake Ontario is one of the largest bodies of freshwater in the world, and one of the five Great Lakes shared by the United States and Canada. It provides drinking water to over nine million people in Ontario, Canada and New York State. Lake Ontario is unique in that the other four Great Lakes flow through it on the way to the St. Lawrence River, eventually making it's way to the ocean at the Gulf of St. Lawrence. It is also a vital part of the region's ecology, providing important habitat to a myriad of fishes, birds, mammals, reptiles, and plants.
Plastic in the Great Lakes endanger important species and microplastics have been found to be ingested by many Great Lakes fish and invertebrates.
Lake Ontario is one of the largest bodies of freshwater in the world, and one of the five Great Lakes shared by the United States and Canada. It provides drinking water to over nine million people in Ontario, Canada and New York State. Lake Ontario is unique in that the other four Great Lakes flow through it on the way to the St. Lawrence River, eventually making it's way to the ocean at the Gulf of St. Lawrence. It is also a vital part of the region's ecology, providing important habitat to a myriad of fishes, birds, mammals, reptiles, and plants.
Plastic in the Great Lakes endanger important species and microplastics have been found to be ingested by many Great Lakes fish and invertebrates.
What can you do?
Learn more at www.plasticlakesproject.org |
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Meet the Plastic Lakes Project Team!
Tammy Bleier
Rochester, New York Tammy graduated from UNCW in 2014 with a B.S. in Marine Biology, and has worked with POP on a myriad of ventures. But, after learning that three million pounds of plastic enter Lake Ontario every year, Tammy decided to focus her efforts on preventing and reducing plastic pollution in her hometown, Rochester, NY. She is currently working with the community to raise awareness on this issue through outreach and beach sweeps. She was the first to start the Plastic Lakes Project initiative, which will address freshwater systems (they all drain to the ocean after all!). Tammy completed her masters in Environmental Science & Ecology at SUNY Brockport, researching the impacts that plastic pollution is having on Lake Ontario. |
Sam Athey
Toronto, Ontario Sam served as POP's Director of Chapters. After her recent move to the Great Lakes region, she knew she had to bring plastic pollution awareness and POP initiatives to her new community. Sam received her B.S. with honors and M.Sc. in Marine Science from the University of North Carolina Wilmington, where she conducted research on microplastic ingestion in marine species. She is currently completing her Ph.D. at the University of Toronto, studying microfibre and chemical loss from clothing in the context of ecotoxicological effects of micrfibres in Great Lake ecosystems. Learn more about microfiber pollution and her research through Sam's blog: the Microfiber Pollution Project! |
Chanté Snelling
Rochester, New York Chanté, a lifelong Rochesterian and Great Lake lover, learned about Plastic Ocean Project through one of her best friends, Tammy. After learning how plastic pollution was affecting the Great Lakes and her community, she wanted to help make a difference. Chanté knew working with Plastic Lakes Project was her opportunity to not only hang out with her bestie, but to leave the world a better place for future generations. She enjoys learning new and inventive ways to reduce the amount of waste that enters our lakes. Chanté currently serves as social media coordinator for the Plastic Lakes Project. |