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Plastic Pollution

Taking action to address and reduce plastic pollution is critical to the Advocacy work of Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper.

Background

A throw-away culture has created a global increase in plastic production, increasing from 2.3 million tons in 1950 to 448 million tons by 2015.

Single-use plastic items are the most common items found at shoreline cleanup events in WNY. Once these plastic items enter our waterways they release toxins into the water, act as a sponge attracting chemical pollutants, and break down into smaller pieces, also known as microplastics, that negatively impact water quality, wildlife, habitat, and recreation.
Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper advocates for the reduction of plastic generation, which is a major contributor to atmospheric pollution and fossil fuel extraction. Through our volunteer cleanups and educational programming, we engage the local community with the issue and inspire participation in the solution. Together we can work towards a systemic solution to the global plastic pollution problem.
Along with that is our Nurdle Patrol and Plastic Monitoring efforts. Nurdles are small plastic pellets, about the size of a lentil, used in plastics manufacturing. This plastic pollution has been found on the shorelines of several waterways within the Niagara River/Lake Erie Watershed. Nurdle Patrol Volunteers help us find and map the location of these nurdles to be included in a Nationwide Nurdle Patrol Project.
Latest Updates
New York EPR for packaging bill fails to pass before end of legislative session
Bill Would Advance New York’s Sustainability Mission
Waterkeeper Data Used in AG Lawsuit
Opposition for public funds to build a plastic factory in Lockport
Here is a helpful guide to help restaurants reduce their use of single-use plastics and shift toward reusables!
Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper is celebrating the inclusion of a Polystyrene Ban in the NYS budget — Implemented on January 1, 2022.
Extended Producer Responsibility
Only 5 percent of the plastic produced is actually recycled. Almost one-third of the waste generated in the United States is from plastic and packaging. Our own data shows plastics are the top trash collected at our volunteer cleanup efforts.
Recycling alone is not an effective solution. That’s why Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper supports Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for single-use plastic packaging. View the video below to learn more about EPR.

Plastic as Art

With funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Marine Debris Program, Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper commissioned art installations depicting the challenges to our local waterways from plastic pollution.

An Unnatural Diet – an art installation by artist Alexis Oltmer was an exhibition at the Aquarium of Niagara and is now used in educational programming.  The piece features depictions of several local or Great Lakes fish created out of plastic pollution trash from local freshwater sources and sealed in resin.

An Unnatural Diet highlights the reality of freshwater plastic pollution in our local ecosystems. The plastic pollution seen in the walleye, rainbow smelt, and phytoplankton were collected by the artist from Lake Erie, and by Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper from the Niagara River. These species were chosen because they are consumers of plastic pollution and can be found in our local waterways. Using molds, Oltmer captured the pollution inside resin, forming transparent specimens. The colors of the pollution evoke playful, energetic, and visually adventurous feelings, but this fondness quickly fades with the realization that the art has been created with trash turned pollution,” the interpretive sign next to the piece states.

“Making art with freshwater plastic pollution has been an exciting process which has left me with many questions regarding the origin story of the products turned pollution,” explained artist Alexis Oltmer. “The life cycle of each pollution object began with an idea, created through design, supply chains, approval processes, production, advertising then put onto shelfs and brought into our lives via consumption. There is a human aspect behind the pollution, that I enjoy capturing visually and physically as “time capsules”, relics of the capitalocene, industry and consumption. By creating art with these objects, I question the “original use” of these plastic pollution objects and create a new narrative which swifts the conversation that questions the capitalocene, demands corporate responsibility and encourages community action.”

The second art piece is Muskellunge of Plastic by artist Elizabeth Leader. Created by a variety of colorful plastic trash pieces collected by Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper staff and volunteers during the Shoreline Sweeps of local waterways in 2021, Muskellunge of Plastic is now on permanent exhibition in the Diversity of Life Exhibit at The Buffalo Zoo.

Using acrylics to paint a roadmap image of a Great Lakes native Muskellunge fish, Leader then assembled the salvage plastic pieces like a jigsaw puzzle over the painting, creating bright, colorful and three-dimensional object that depicts how dangerously well plastic holds up as it accumulates over time in our waterways.

“Fresh water is the most valuable resource on the planet,” said artist Elizabeth Leader. “People around the world, including scientists, environmentalists, businesses and governments all compete to both control and protect it. Artists have a unique role in raising awareness of water’s vulnerability since a direct visualization of a problem can be comprehended faster than words or numbers.”

Our Plastic Lakes art piece was created by Niagara County Young Environmental Leaders Program (YELP) students in 2021. This was made by Benjamin Glahe, Chloe Moseman, Hayley Mundy, Jillian Brierly and Marissa Jackson.

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