What We Do.
Why We Do It.
Studies estimate that over 20 million pounds of plastics could be entering the Great Lakes each year through a variety of sources and pathways, such as public litter, which negatively impacts the health of one of the largest freshwater ecosystems in the world and a source of drinking water for close to 40 million Americans and Canadians. The Council of the Great Lakes Region launched the Circular Great Lakes initiative in 2021 in order to bring government, business, academia and the NGO sector together to forge a future without waste and litter, starting with plastics. As we start the work of building the foundation of a Great Lakes circular economy, capturing, cleaning-up and stopping plastic litter is a key priority for CGLR and its partners, including through actions like the Great Lakes Plastic Cleanup, a joint effort between CGLR and Pollution Probe in Canada.
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