Great Lakes Cleanup Road Trip to Unite Communities Across Five Great Lakes Watersheds

Great Lakes Great Responsibility is launching the Great Lakes Cleanup Road Trip, a weeklong volunteer-driven cleanup campaign spanning five Great Lakes watersheds with cleanup events in:

 

• Hamilton, Ontario, June 10

• Buffalo, New York, June 11

• Port Huron, Michigan, June 13

• Traverse City, Michigan, June 14

• Marquette, Michigan, June 16

 

The road trip will bring together volunteers, local organizations, businesses, and environmental advocates to remove plastic pollution from shorelines and waterways while encouraging communities to rethink single-use plastic consumption and reconnect with the Great Lakes.

 

The campaign aims to highlight that clean Great Lakes water starts upstream and begins with our everyday choices, community action, and shared responsibility for the places we call home.

 

“Every piece of plastic picked up tells a bigger story about our relationship with convenience, consumption, and our waterways,” said Meag Schwartz, Executive Director of Great Lakes Great Responsibility. “This road trip is about more than cleanup numbers. It’s about building a culture where protecting the Great Lakes becomes part of everyday community life.”

 

Throughout the week, volunteers will participate in community cleanups, educational conversations, and social media storytelling designed to spotlight the scale of freshwater plastic pollution while making environmental action feel accessible, hopeful, and community-centered. The Great Lakes Cleanup Road Trip will document weight and number of pieces of trash removed, common items found, and unique and unusual debris recovered from shorelines

 

Organizers hope the campaign will inspire long-term stewardship and strengthen connections between Great Lakes communities that share one interconnected freshwater ecosystem.

 

The Great Lakes contain approximately 20% of the world’s surface freshwater, yet plastic pollution continues to threaten wildlife, water quality, recreation, and coastal communities throughout the region.

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Community members of all ages are encouraged to participate in the cleanup events. Volunteers can expect a welcoming atmosphere focused on collective action, environmental stewardship, and community connection.

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Great Lakes Great Responsibility is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established in 2020 to prevent marine debris in the Great Lakes watershed through place-based education, watershed cleanups, and community engagement. Through volunteer-driven action and environmental storytelling, the organization works to reduce plastic pollution and inspire long-term care for our freshwater ecosystems.