{"id":13939,"date":"2024-07-15T15:40:44","date_gmt":"2024-07-15T19:40:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/councilgreatlakesregion.org\/?p=13939"},"modified":"2024-11-16T14:04:44","modified_gmt":"2024-11-16T19:04:44","slug":"great-lakes-plastic-cleanup-glpc-shares-new-data-and-insights-for-plastic-free-july","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/councilgreatlakesregion.org\/great-lakes-plastic-cleanup-glpc-shares-new-data-and-insights-for-plastic-free-july\/","title":{"rendered":"Great Lakes Plastic Cleanup (GLPC) Shares New Data and Insights for Plastic Free July"},"content":{"rendered":"

Groundbreaking initiative provides update on data collection and community impact in the fight to clean up the waterways of the Great Lakes region.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n


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TORONTO \u2013 July 16, 2024 \u2013<\/strong> An initiative that brings together partners from across North America to take action on the plastics pollution problem in the Great Lakes has released its most recent plastic capture data in support of Plastic Free July, highlighting the impact it has had since launching in 2020. The Great Lakes Plastic Cleanup<\/a>,<\/u>\u00a0an initiative of Pollution Probe, the Council of the Great Lakes Region (CGLR) and the CGLR Foundation in the U.S., uses innovative plastic capture technology to prevent and remove plastic in the Great Lakes from the St. Lawrence to Lake Superior and everywhere in between.<\/p>\n

Since its launch, the Great Lakes Plastic Cleanup has been instrumental in collecting much needed data<\/a>\u00a0on the types and amount of plastic in the Great Lakes to fill critical information gaps, while also engaging local communities, government, industry and consumers around how we can all work together to end plastic pollution. To complement the release of the most recent data from the 2023 season, the Great Lakes Plastic Cleanup website<\/a> has also been updated, highlighting just some of the initiative\u2019s broader impact to-date.<\/p>\n

\u201cPlastic is more than just an eyesore. When it enters our waterways, it can have major impacts on the region\u2019s wildlife and residents,\u201d says Christopher Hilkene, CEO, Pollution Probe. \u201cThe Great Lakes Plastic Cleanup has been instrumental in taking action to prevent plastic from finding its way into the environment, ensuring that our Great Lakes are safe and clean so that the people and species residing here can thrive. The initiative has grown exponentially over the past few years and the significant results that we\u2019ve seen to-date are a testament to the importance of working in collaboration with our amazing partners to achieve our common goal of ending plastic pollution in the Great Lakes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe plastics that we use every day as consumers are valuable and should never become litter in our environment and the Great Lakes,\u201d says Mark Fisher, President and CEO of CGLR. \u201cBecause of the Great Lakes Plastic Cleanup, the largest initiative of its kind in North America, there is not only heightened awareness about the plastic pollution challenge that we face as a region, but there has also been increased action by businesses, government, and consumers to address the problem through stronger policies and regulations, household and local recycling, and the creation of more sustainable consumer packaging.\u201d<\/p>\n

To-date the Great Lakes Plastic Cleanup has:<\/strong><\/p>\n