(WBBM NEWSRADIO) – A new report takes a deep dive into Great Lakes litter, and experts say the results are eye-opening.
Eighty-six percent -- that’s how much of the trash collected on Great Lakes beaches was found to be partially or fully plastic between 2003 and 2023.
“The source is very local. They’re things that we leave behind that we’re all familiar with,” says Olivia Reda, volunteer engagement manager at the Alliance for the Great Lakes.
The garbage includes things like food wrappers, bottle caps, plastic bags and more.
“We know that plastic is very pervasive in the environment. It’s making its way into human bodies, wildlife are also negatively impacted. They can ingest the plastic, mistake it for food, they can also get entangled,” Reda said.
A key takeaway from the report is that change is needed at the individual level, as well as business and government levels, she said.
“We really need a multifaceted, systemic solution that reduces production of single-use plastic and holds producers responsible.”