As freedom rings, the Alliance for the Great Lakes encourages beach-goers that the Great Lakes are not plastic-free.
More than 22 million pounds of plastic debris can be found in the Great Lakes, according to researchers at the Rochester Institute of Technology.
The group hosts clean up events along the shorelines each year.
Spokesperson Jennifer Caddick said they have found that 85 percent of the litter they collect is plastic.
She said the remaining 15 percent is a combination of glass, aluminum, bits of paper.
“Especially on big days like this where a whole lot of people are going on the beach, just be really mindful of our plastic use and take a little extra care so we can prevent this problem from getting worse,” Caddick said.
The group recommends cutting back on plastic by using reusable water bottles, cutlery and bags and say no thanks to straws.
