Small Plastics, Big Impact: Mobilizing the Great Lakes Business Network to Address Microplastics

Microplastics are the most prevalent debris in oceans and the Great Lakes. Estimates show 10,000 metric tons, or twenty-two million pounds, of plastic debris enter the Great Lakes annually from the U.S. and Canada. This contamination poses negative human health, wildlife, and economic impacts. Because corporate and consumer behavior in the U.S. is a prominent contributor to plastic pollution and a powerful force, this project utilizes business voices to address microplastic pollution in the Great Lakes via the Great Lakes Business Network (GLBN). The GLBN is a coalition of over 220 businesses that leverages its collective voice to advocate for Great Lakes issues. The GLBN engages with consumers and decision-makers to drive positive change. Through interviews, literature review, and policy analysis, our team created a microplastics campaign plan and a new committee for the GLBN to drive forward institutional change in a focused and effective way. Our interviews with eighteen GLBN businesses identified a gap between their knowledge of and concern for microplastics, indicating a need for education. We helped fill this gap through two webinars, one being a ‘Microplastics 101’ and the other a workshop, multiple presentations at all-member and executive committee meetings, one-pagers for education and lobby days, and this report. Since microplastics come from a variety of sources and are extremely difficult to remove, our recommendations focus on preventative measures that cut pollution off at the source.