THE (DATA) STORY SO FAR
Analyses of the litter collected in the capture and cleanup devices installed at our network of participant sites across the Great Lakes!
What we've captured to-date (2020-2021)
Our waste characterization team sorts debris into these categories:

Small Foam Pieces

Small Hard Fragments

Small Pellets

Small Film Pieces

Large Foam Pieces

Large Fragments

Large Film Pieces

Cigarette Butts
The data shown is based on what is reported from the participating sites. We anticipate that there is more being collected by the plastic capture devices
(e.g., on days where data is not collected or reported)!
Each Seabin and LittaTrap™ collects a slightly different quantity of debris each day, depending on a wide range of factors including the location of the marina it is installed at, weather conditions, and more. Here's the data broken down by year and how our devices did on average across all our participating sites.
The longer the devices stay in the water, the more plastic they collect. We have also been finding lots of small hard fragments, foam and film (all of which are very light), so the overall weight of the catch is much smaller than you might think.
2021 Findings
Breakdown of Litter by Category
Average Daily Amount of
Litter Captured per Device
2020 Findings
Average Daily Amount of
Litter Captured per Device
Breakdown of Litter by Category
Lake by lake
The Great Lakes Plastic Cleanup is collecting plastic from all across the Great Lakes (check out our site network here!) As we collect more and more data, we'll be building up an increasingly detailed 'plastic profile' of each of the lakes, mapping trends for the different types and relative amounts of plastic in each.
Hover over each lake to find out about the debris we have collected so far!

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Lake Huron
(11 sites)
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Lake Ontario
(6 sites)
Stay tuned for
2022 data!
Stay tuned for 2021 data!
Lake Michigan
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Lake Erie
(2 sites)
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Lake Superior
(1 site)
The (Data) Story By Site
Click on the name of a site to learn more about the litter we've found there!




















