Plastic Free July is an international annual campaign, according to Schwartz, to educate individuals as to how they can reduce plastic waste, globally.

The Plastic Free July organization states that their 2025 campaign, “focuses on small changes each of us can make to reduce plastic waste.” To participate, the organization explains that individuals and households can choose one single-use plastic to avoid such as single-use cups, plastic drinking bottles, or plastic food wrap. Plastic Free July states that refilling reusable water bottles and switching from plastic wrap to reusable containers (or wax wraps) are ways to reduce single-use plastic.

Schwartz explained that single-use plastic is plastic that is used one time and then discarded — thrown away or recycled.

“Like plastic cutlery, water bottles … even just a plastic packaging that’s around things like produce or our food products,” Schwartz said. “Basically (plastic) just meant for a very short-term use.”

News Photo by Kayla Wikaryasz Meag Schwartz, founder of Great Lakes Great Responsibility, is seen on Wednesday instructing children from the Boys and Girls Club of Alpena about safe ways they can pick up litter from Starlite Beach. Children broke up into groups after Schwartz talked to pick up litter.

Schwartz said that Great Lakes Great Responsibility will be sharing resources to educate the public as to what Michiganders and community members can do to reduce their single-use plastic consumption.

One suggestion Schwartz made was making a to-go bag.

“So when you’re out and about, it has things like a water bottle that you would bring along with you, a set of silverware, a straw … a to-go container so if you wanna put leftovers in that,” Schwartz said. “Just a small bag of little items that doesn’t take up too much space … but can really have a big impact if everybody buys into it.”

Schwartz added that if people approached environmental responsibility as something that is positive and not shameful, that attitude shift can have a big impact on the environment, as well.

“Being proud … like, ‘Hey, I’m doing this because I want to protect the environment and the Great Lakes’,” Schwartz said. “Having some pride about it is really important and also helps spread the message to people that you encounter. Whether that’s at a restaurant or if you’re out with your friends … just help inspire other people to take action and make it kind of like a new norm.”

Though Schwartz would rather see people reduce the amount of trash and waste they create and discard into the environment, she explained that discarding trash into proper receptacles is better than leaving waste on the streets where it may eventually end up in our Great Lakes.

“The best thing you can do is get the trash where it needs to go,” Schwartz said. “Whether that’s taking it with you, putting it in a receptacle … then even just encouraging others around you to take the same action. You can always lead by example.”

Schwartz added that discarded trash in our environment has a tendency to compound itself.

“Litter attracts litter,” Schwartz said. “If you can keep litter out of an area that really can help prevent attracting more litter to it.”

Schwartz has told The News in previous interviews that she wishes that her nonprofit will one day become unnecessary. However, due to the amount of discarded waste her team finds in the Great Lakes region, that reality may not come easily.

“I think we’re kind of on an upward consumption trend and from that there’s just an endless amount of trash,” Schwartz said. “I think we’re going to be picking up trash forever … I’d love to encourage people to consider their consumption.”

Schwartz added that though people may not directly litter, their trash can accidentally end up in the environment. Her nonprofit mostly finds cigarette butts, food wrappers, balloons, and plastic packaging. However, she said that microplastics are a greater harm to our environment.

“So plastics that have been broken down either by lawn mowers or just broken down with weathering and time as well,” Schwartz said. “So that becomes really hard to remove once they’ve been out in the environment for a while … that can have some pretty catastrophic effects in our water.”

Kayla Wikaryasz can be reached at 989-358-5688 or kwikaryasz@TheAlpenaNews.com.