Lake Superior stewards to trap microplastics

Ontario is investing $45,000 to aid in filtering microplastics from Lake Superior waterways as part of the Ontario Community Environment Fund.

EcoSuperioran environmental non-profit organization and recipient of the funding in partnership with the City of Thunder Bay, plans to install LittaTraps in storm drains around community areas with heavy foot traffic.

“Our mission is ‘Building a Healthy Future for People and the Planet’. Through the support of the Government of Ontario, we are able to continue to reduce litter in our waterways and educate our community on the importance of waste reduction,” EcoSuperior Environmental Programs Co-Executive Director Erin Moir stated in a release. “Through this project, we will capture litter debris and microplastics before they reach our waterways, making a tangible difference in preserving the health of Lake Superior.”

The proactive and prevention-based strategy will also inform future cleanup initiatives both within Superior watersheds as well as globally, through the International Trash Trapping Network — a collaboration between Ocean Conservancy and the University of Toronto Trash Team. Lake Superior accumulates more than $70,000 pounds of plastic debris annually.

Ontario is slated to invest $1.5 million in environmental protection projects by 2024.

To learn more about the Ontario Community Environment Fund (which was established in 2010), click here

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