The CleanUp Club collects plastic pollution found in Lake Erie

MONROE — Lake Erie’s shoreline looks a little cleaner thanks to The Cleanup Club.

Within an hour, 40 volunteers of the nonprofit group recently collected more than 9,000 pieces of trash from the lake at Sterling State Park. The pieces of trash weighed more than 110 pounds.

“All trash collected was weighed, counted and categorized for Great Lakes plastic pollution research and advocacy efforts. Some of the top found items included bottle caps, shotgun shells, cigar tips, food wrappers and plastic fragments from larger plastic items," Hannah Tizedes said in written statement.

“The event not only highlighted the tangible impact collective action can have on reducing pollution but also served as a fun and engaging way for volunteers to contribute to a cause that benefits both the environment and future generations.”

Tizedes, 28, started the group in April 2023. From April to November, she is joined by other volunteers for cleanup events at Sterling State Park. They also focus on other statewide projects.

Events are posted using social media like the group’s website, Facebook page, Instagram and Eventbrite.

Using a bucket or bag, volunteers walk the shoreline collecting plastic pieces.

Once plastic is in the water, it slowly decomposes. Tizedes said the pieces can be small in size because they have been broken down by sunrays and water.

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Research suggests the tiny pieces called microplastics can enter the marine food chain and be harmful to sea life.

“I grew up in Flat Rock and always went to Lake Erie as a kid,” she said. “I have a long background in cleaning up the beach. It started when I was a kid. I started collecting trash and keeping it. I started making art with the trash.”

Tizedes, a Michigan State University graduate with a background in environmental sustainability studies, has created murals from what she’s gathered. Some of her artwork can be found at the SEA LIFE Aquarium in Auburn Hills, the state’s largest aquarium with more than 250 species and 2,000 creatures like rescued sea turtles and sharks.

“I counted all of the plastic I had and I counted over 100,000 pieces that I was using to create these art pieces with,” Tizedes said. “I wanted to get more people involved to make a difference and learn about plastic pollution.”

The group’s most recent event was sponsored by Me Mother Earth, a home goods company offering a range of eco-friendly products to make plastic-free living easy.

“They donated a box of sustainable products for volunteers to choose from in order to promote sustainable living after the event's conclusion,” Tizedes said. “It’s been a long journey of learning more about the Great Lakes’ plastic pollution and how it impacts them.”

She said there’s a study that shows more 22 million pounds of plastic ends up in the Great Lakes every year, which poses a threat to both the environment and public health.

According to a report released by the Rochester Institute of Technology, of the microplastics found in the Great Lakes, 4.41 metric tons enter Lake Erie. Plastic accounts for approximately 80 percent of the litter on the shorelines of the Great Lakes.

For Tizedes and the other members of The CleanUp Club, plastic pollution in the Great Lakes is a serious problem that’s compounding year after year.

From 10 a.m. to noon on June 8, “World Ocean Day,” the group will return to Sterling for another round of cleanup. More information about The Cleanup Club and events can be found at thecleanupclub.org or by contacting Hannah Tizedes at hello@thecleanupclub.org.

— Contact reporter Lisa Vidaurri-Bowling at lvidaurribowling@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: The CleanUp Club collects plastic pollution found in Lake Erie