Our waste is killing our wildlife. Our economy encourages us to make, use and toss at the greatest possible speed. Often, we don’t think twice about getting our coffee to-go in a foam cup, or food in a foam takeout container.
Currently, 70 million plastic foam cups are estimated to be disposed by Americans every day. Of these, about one-third end up in waterways: rivers, lakes and especially oceans. As stewards of Lake Superior, and as global citizens this should be of great concern.
A recent study published by the National Park Service, South Carolina’s Clemson University and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Marine Debris Program found that the average microplastic concentration per kilogram of sand in Lake Superior had an average of 170 to 225 pieces.
To protect our wildlife and our waterways we need to dramatically reduce our plastic waste and we can start by banning foam cups and takeout containers here in Minnesota.
Marissa Neitzke
Tofte
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