Plastic pollution in the Great Lakes

Researchers have found stunningly high amounts of tiny plastic pieces in all five Great Lakes. They’ve found microscopic plastic pieces in drinking water, fish, and beer – and even in human blood.

Visit our campaign page to see how you can be part of the solution. Learn more about Great Lakes plastic pollution below.

Blog

December 14, 2023

Reflections from COP28: A Journey of Global Impact and Local Stewardship

Note: This blog was written by Vice President of Policy and Strategic Engagement Crystal M.C. Davis. Attending the COP28 UN Climate Change Conference in Dubai was an incredible experience, one that […]

Blog

November 20, 2023

20 Years and Counting 

Adopt-a-Beach volunteers removed more than 530,000 pieces of litter – weighing over 25,000 pounds – from Great Lakes shorelines in 2023.  Each piece of litter is part of a bigger […]

Blog

November 14, 2023

One Earth: Young Filmmakers Shine A Light on Great Lakes Issues 

The One Earth Young Filmmakers Contest invites inspiring young filmmakers across the world, from grades three through post-grad, to submit films that address today’s most pressing environmental challenges. The contest […]

Blog

November 1, 2023

Charting the Future of the Great Lakes: Insights from the HOW Conference and Governors’ Summit 

Note: This blog was co-written by President & CEO Joel Brammeier and Vice President of Policy and Strategic Engagement Crystal M.C. Davis. For four days in Cleveland on the shores […]

DC Update

August 23, 2023

Are Great Lakes Priorities Advancing in an Era of Divided Government?

At the beginning of the year, we announced an ambitious Great Lakes federal policy agenda. We also noted that it was the start of a new Congress and an era of […]

Blog

June 26, 2023

Adopt-a-Beach Launches 20th Year of Data Collection

Adopt-a-Beach volunteers launched the 2023 Adopt-a-Beach season with hundreds of cleanups on Great Lakes beaches, harbors, bluffs, and trails. By June 26, volunteers had removed more than 191,000 pieces of […]

Blog

June 26, 2023

Take Action Locally to Reduce Plastic Pollution

Plastic pollution is a serious problem for the Great Lakes and the people and wildlife who live here. Researchers from the Rochester Institute of Technology estimate that over 22 million […]

Press Release

June 5, 2023

Environmental Advocates Applaud Illinois General Assembly’s Efforts to Reduce Plastic Pollution

Chicago, IL (June 5, 2023) – With eyes on Paris for the recently completed crucial second round of global plastics treaty negotiations, groups in Illinois and across the Great Lakes […]

Diving Deep for Solutions

May 9, 2023

Putting an end to plastic pollution

For our Diving Deep for Solutions series, we commissioned author and journalist Kari Lydersen to examine big issues facing the lakes today and how our expert team at the Alliance […]

Blog

April 21, 2023

20 Years of Adopt-a-Beach Data Collection: What Have We Learned?

Adopt-a-Beach volunteers are on the front lines of keeping litter off our beaches and out of the Great Lakes. But did you know that these volunteers are also citizen scientists? […]