By Sydney S.
Welcome back to the final installment in our series on plastic! After learning in Series II about the global issues with plastic, it’s time to take it back to our roots and remember the impacts plastic has on the Midwest. In this finale, we will hone in on regional issues with plastic, and then discuss the steps citizens of the Midwest can take to combat preventable problems with plastic through voting with your dollars, adapting consumer habits, and keeping corporations accountable.
PLASTIC AND THE GREAT LAKES
The Great Lakes are the lifeblood of the upper Midwest. Whole industries are dependent on the lakes and the bounty of wildlife they provide, not to mention the tourism industry dependent on these beautiful bodies of water. According to the Great Lakes Commission, the Great Lakes contain 90% of the freshwater supply in the U.S. and account for just over 20% of all freshwater on earth.1 There is no question of the value our lakes provide to the Midwest and the greater national water supply.
So if plastic pollution is an issue in our oceans, is it the same for our lakes? Sadly, our lakes aren’t spared from the same issues marine life are facing with ocean pollution. An estimated 22 million pounds of plastic from Canada and the U.S. enter the Great Lakes every year, with 50% of this entering Lake Michigan alone.2 And although Lake Michigan is the second largest Great Lake by volume (with Lake Superior taking the lead), 27% of the water taken from the Great Lakes in 2019 just from Lake Michigan.3
We are just beginning to pay attention to the volume of plastic – particularly microplastics, which are less than 5 millimeters in length – in our waterways. While it may seem that drinking water is the only worry for microplastic contamination, a study published in 2018 found microplastics lurking even in the beer we brew. Of the 12 beers tested in the study that sourced water from the Great Lakes in the brewing process, 4 of which used Lake Michigan water, all 12 contained microplastics.4
Despite understanding the deadly impact plastic accumulation can have on animals (ex. plastic built up in the stomachs of seabirds), the research on chemical consequences of animals and humans ingesting microplastics is still divided. According to a 2020 study on microplastics:
“The adverse effects on organisms that are exposed to microplastics can be separated into two categories: physical effects and chemical effects. The former is related to the particle size, shape, and concentration of microplastics, and the latter is related to hazardous chemicals that are associated with microplastics. Though data on microplastic exposure levels in environments and organisms have rapidly increased in recent decades, limited information is available on the chemicals that are associated with microplastics.”5
Humans across the globe have been consuming microplastics on a daily basis without understanding if doing so will cause any adverse health effects. It’s scary to think our beloved Great Lakes have caused Midwesterners to do the same, all because of a man made material and our lack of proper recycling or disposal.
CONSUMER CHOICES
Although plastic use is now global, half of all single-use plastics produced in 2019 were from only 20 companies; the top 2 companies – ExxonMobil and Dow – are both American companies.6
And 8 of the top 10 single-use plastics found in the 2017 International Coast Clean-up event were plastic-based.7 These include:
- Cigarette butts (which include a plastic filter)
- Plastic beverage bottles
- Plastic bottle caps
- Plastic grocery bags
- Other plastic bags (ex. garbage bags)
- Plastic straws and stirrers
- Plastic takeout containers
- Plastic lids
Why are we continuing to use these single-use items on a regular basis when it’s clear they pollute our natural world? The answer is pretty simple for consumers: we don’t always have alternatives. While cities like Madison and Milwaukee boast co-ops and bulk stores that offer less packaging, it can be impossible for citizens in smaller communities and rural areas to buy groceries, takeout food, and household products locally but without single-use plastic or plastic packaging. Yet McKinsey reports “55 percent of US survey respondents report that they are extremely or very concerned about the environmental impact of product packaging.”8 Consumers care, but alternatives aren’t easy to come by.
So let’s talk about some options you do have – both with immediate and long-term benefits. For immediate impact, purchase and utilize reusable shopping bags, metal or glass straws, and water bottles, and bring silverware when you plan to eat out but will be otherwise reliant on plastic cutlery. In the long run, get involved and push back on the companies you support. If you want them to reduce plastic packaging, eliminate single-use plastics, or provide alternative options, email the company or join others and sign a petition. Here are a few to get you started:
- Eliminate plastic straws at McDonald’s: https://www.change.org/p/mcdonald-s-replace-plastic-straws
- Reduce plastic packaging at Trader Joe’s: https://www.change.org/p/trader-joe-s-reduce-plastic-packaging
- Eliminate Coca-Cola’s plastic six-ring packaging: https://www.change.org/p/coca-cola-stop-using-plastic-rings-to-package-soda-cans?source_location=topic_page
- Eliminate plastic bags at Target: https://www.change.org/p/target-stop-filling-the-world-with-plastic-bags
For a personal challenge, try out Plastic Free July! This event is held every July and serves as an international challenge for more than 300 million people to reduce single-use plastic for an entire month.9 Plastic Free July offers tips and recommendations for reducing your plastic consumption, whether it be at home, in the store, at work or school. Their challenge even includes strategies for getting involved in your community and local government if you’re interested in changing policies regarding plastic use.
Thank you for tuning in to our second full series on the rise of plastic usage, the problems it presents, and what steps we can take as citizens of the Midwest and the larger global community to curb our dependence on plastic. We hope this series established a great foundation for understanding how plastic impacts each and every one of us. Remember that the next best step you can take about any environmental topic is to simply talk about it with others, whether it be with your family, community, or the companies producing items you purchase. And as always, you vote with your dollars – spend them wisely to encourage reducing single-use plastic!
Sources:
2: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2016.11.061
3: https://waterusedata.glc.org/pdf/2019-Water-Use-Report.pdf
4: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0194970#sec013
5: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7068600/
6: https://cdn.minderoo.org/content/uploads/2021/05/18065501/20210518-Plastic-Waste-Makers-Index.pdf
7: https://oceanconservancy.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/FINAL-2018-ICC-REPORT.pdf
Sustainable Saplings 
Interesting read.
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