Communities
In 2018, our team of academic researchers, community groups and industry partners united with the understanding that communities across the Great Lakes region were concerned about microplastic pollution. With the input of advisors from each of the Great Lakes states and Canada, our collaborative group developed an action plan for community engagement and technology development to mitigate microplastic pollution in urban and rural communities in central and southeast Michigan. The downloadable materials and tools on this site were developed to help other municipalities. We thank the City of Williamston and the City of Pontiac for recognizing the importance of microplastic pollution and for serving as pilot communities. The participation of local leaders, organizations and residents is essential for addressing an issue that affects us all.
Promotional outreach materials
Ready-to-use graphics and tools receive positive responses in our pilot communities for inspiring awareness and action.
- Graphics for social media postings these can be adapted for your use.
- Fact sheets these summarize key insights from this project.
- Infographics these highlight key concepts together or individually.
- Pledges to take action commitments make people more likely to act, so pledges can be an important part of an information campaign.
- Surveys about taking action surveys increase awareness and give people ideas about changes to make, so surveys can be an important part of an information campaign.
- Presentation of general information about microplastics this technical slide show can be used to talk about microplastics and nanoplastics pollution.
- Stormwater runoff carries more than just sediment!
Community outreach "How-To"
Community engagement can be a trial-and-error process and we share what we learned in hopes that our experience will help others.
- Lessons learned about community outreach and engagement from distribution of free laundry bags to community cleanups and online campaigns.
- Focus group results is microplastic a "micro" problem? Focus groups revealed important insights about public perceptions of microplastic pollution.
- Risk assessment Communities experience different pollution risks. Our team tracked environmental plastic emissions by industry and market. The resulting analysis helps communities understand pathways for plastics to end up in the environment, from material production through waste removal. Check back with us in mid-2023 for an online tool to evaluate the sources of risk for microplastics pollution in your community.
Access all promotional outreach materials and "how-to" resources
Additional resources
- Information about stormwater runoff and risk assessment will be available soon.
- Stay tuned for a document describing the use and impact of bioswales and green infrastructure for controlling microplastic pollution in stormwater.