Courtesy Photo Community members are seen helping clean up Culligan Plaza on Earth Day last year. Meag Shwartz, president and founder of Great Lakes Great Responsibility, explained that this cleanup helps prevent storm drains from washing trash out into Lake Huron.

ALPENA — As Earth Day approaches, there are many ways people can celebrate. From community cleanups to home waste audits, community members have many options to do their part.

Earth Day is Tuesday, April 22.

Meag Shwartz, president and founder of Great Lakes Great Responsibility, explained that her nonprofit organization is hosting two events to celebrate. On Tuesday, Great Lakes Great Responsibility is hosting a Downtown Alpena Cleanup at 4:30 p.m. and a West Alpena Cleanup on Saturday at 10 a.m.

Shwartz explained that the Downtown Alpena Cleanup is an important event because the group will meet at Culligan Plaza and clean up trash to not only beautify the area but also to clean the storm drains.

The storm drains, according to Shwartz, carry water and trash straight to Lake Huron.

Shwartz said that marine debris is especially harmful because they are hard to remove unless they are large pieces. She explained that a lot of marine debris ends up staying in our bodies of water and breaks down into microplastics.

These microplastics have been found everywhere, including the human body, according to Shwartz. She explained that the long-lasting effects of microplastics in our bodies are unknown.

“(We are) not sure what the health effects are,” Shwartz said.

Therefore, Shwartz’s nonprofit is committed to removing trash and waste from the environment before it reaches our bodies of water.

The West Alpena Cleanup will encompass the area between Walgreens, Marshalls, and Meijer. Shwartz explained that last year, participants were able to collect 3,600 pieces of trash in just an hour and a half.

“(The goal is) to open up a conversation about how do we reduce disposable products so we don’t have to (host cleanups),” she said. “I would like for our nonprofit to become irrelevant.”

During the West Alpena Cleanup, Shwartz explained that the group will be tallying and recording the number of trash pieces collected as well as the types of trash collected. She also mentioned that Great Lakes Great Responsibility will be saving some pieces of trash to be used in art projects later on.

Besides cleanups, there are many ways that individuals can celebrate Earth Day.

Shwartz said that though she believes Earth Day should be every day, Earth Day gives individuals a specific day to reflect upon and appreciate the natural bounty and beauty of the environment around them.

“Earth Day is a time to reflect on your relationship with the Earth,” said Shwartz.

Shwartz explained that individuals and families can consider participating in a community cleanup event, or they can simply clean up trash in their neighborhood.

“It feels good to see what you can get done,” Shwartz said.

Individuals wishing to make a larger impact in their community can participate in Adopt-A-Street or Adopt-A-Park programs. Shwartz said these programs involve cleaning up trash to not only maintain the aesthetics of public areas, but also to maintain the health of the surrounding environment.

In addition to participating in cleanup activities, Shwartz said people can engage in habits that generally prevent creating trash before it gets out into the environment.

Shwartz suggested that individuals and families consider doing a home waste audit.

A home waste audit is a process in which individuals and families tally up how much trash they produce in a week, according to Shwartz. This audit can also include composting and recycling.

Shwartz explained that once the audit is complete, individuals should look at the categories and types of trash they create and consider what they can do to reduce those numbers.

“How are you being a good caretaker and good steward?” Shwartz asked.

In addition to general cleanup initiatives and environmental conservation, Shwartz noted that our Great Lakes deserve special attention as they hold 20% of the world’s fresh water.

“The Great Lakes are an international treasure,” Shwartz said.

Further, Shwartz stated the importance and responsibilities of humans to be good stewards of the planet.

“We are in a relationship with the planet,” Shwartz said. “If we are not going to take care of it, it won’t take care of us. We rely on the Earth to take care of us … we need to take care of it.”

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