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Fall 2020 ONline newsletter_home page

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Front image Website for the Water Levels Webinar by Georgian Bay Forever

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GBF Fall Newsletter

Online Fall Newsletter

Discover articles about water levels, the AUV, and what people are saying about our 25th birthday. Read it here (link).

FEATURED PUBLICATION

2020 Report on the Problems with Polystyrene

By Lisa Erdle. A review of the effects and fate of polystyrene pollution with a focus to dock foam
Read the PDF flipbook download.

Fall Newsletter

Read about GBF Turning 25,
An Update on Staunching Dock Foam Litter, The Thompsons, and the AUV
Read more.

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UPCOMING EVENTS

Upcoming Events

2020

Fall opportunities.
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VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY IN PARRY SOUND Microfibres

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY IN PARRY SOUND

Microfibres are some of the most common microplastics in the Great Lakes, including Georgian Bay. Derived from synthetic textiles (e.g. polyester, acrylic, polypropylene, polyamide and polyethylene), microfibres enter the environment from us washing our clothes. In August 2019, GBF installed 100 microfibre filters in Parry Sound, part of a Pilot Project in partnership with the Rochman Lab at U of T. We are bringing 100 additional filters to Parry Sound and are looking for households to volunteer for a filter and help with this research. These filters are installed on your laundry machine, free to install, and help us continue this ever important research.

Email brooke.harrison@gbf.org to get involved!

If you are interested in learning more about the study, click here: https://georgianbayforever.org/microplastics-impacts/

#techfornature

Goto www.gbf.org to find our latest online issue.

Goto www.gbf.org to find our latest online issue. Articles about water levels, the AUV, and what people are saying about our 25th birthday.

Happy #plasticsthursday of #wastereductionweek ♻

Happy #plasticsthursday of #wastereductionweek ♻️

Plastic Thursday highlights how the circular economy can improve plastic management along the value chain and reduce its waste, preventing it from entering the environment; motivate improved recyclability of plastic goods; and increase the value of recycled plastic by improving product design, use, and end of life management.

The Canadian domestic market consumers about 4,667 kilotons (kt) on an annual basis (more than 125kg per capita), generating a lot of plastic waste. 86% of the waste ends up in harder-to-find landfills, only 9% is recycled, and sadly, about 1% (29kt) of it is released as plastic waste into the environment. It is estimated that 10 million kilograms of plastic enter the Great Lakes every year. In the oceans, about 8 million tonnes of plastic end up in our oceans each year- thats about one garbage truck full of plastic every minute!

The waters of Georgian Bay are at risk of continuous build-up of plastic pollution. Mitigation this pollution is critical to water quality, the healthy of the ecosystems, and the enjoyment of nature. Right now, it is estimated that humans consume approximately a credit’s card worth of plastic every single week through drinking, eating, and inhalation. Research is underway for what the impacts are on human health, but what we do know is that due to our mismanagement of our waste has brought us to consume our own garbage.

A study on Lake Superior, Lake Huron-Georgian Bay, and Lake Erie showed that the average abundance in surface water was approximately 43,000 microplaslic particles per square kilometre. These levels of microplastics are similar to and even exceed concentrations frown in ocean goers and the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

We can all do better! 40% of the plastic produced each year is packaging, used once and thrown away. Start your plastic free journey today. Start with one room in your house- how can you reduce single use plastics? Every action counts!

Follow along GBF’s journey on diverting micro and macro plastics from entering our beloved Bay 🌊

Register to join at www.gbf.org. There’s a lot o

Register to join at www.gbf.org. There’s a lot of info out there on water levels, and what to do about high-highs and low- lows. This symposium aims to bring together the experts, scientists, and stakeholders to drive consensus on what should be done. It’s this Sat. Oct. 24 from 10 am to 2 pm. Register at www.gbf.org.

Today is Textiles Tuesday of #wastereductionweek ♻️

Did you know the average person throws away 37 kilograms of textiles each year, and 95 per cent of those clothes could be reused or recycled? Globally, textiles waste has increased dramatically due to the rise in clothing consumption and production.

Quick facts:
* It takes 2,600 litres of water to make one new t-shirt
* Making 1 pair of jeans produces as much greenhouse gases as driving a car 128 kilometers
* Worldwide, the average number of times a garment is worn before being disposed of has decreased by 36% compared to 15 years ago. In those 15 years clothing production has nearly doubled. This is driven by the demand of fast fashion sales
* Overall, 1 garbage truck of textiles is landfilled or incinerated every second
* 15% of all unwanted garments are collected while 85% ends up in landfills
* Each year, people consume more than 80 billion pieces of new clothing, making the clothing industry one of the world's biggest polluters

What can you do?
* Avoid fast fashion by investing in your clothing. Purchase clothes that are meant to last years, not just a few wears
* Shop second hand
* Donate your unwanted clothing
* Wash your clothes less. One load of laundry can release up to 700,000 microfibres per load! https://georgianbayforever.org/microplastics-impacts/
* Sew, patch, or repurpose your clothing
* Host a clothing swap with friends!

You as a consumer have so much power! Shop and support consciously to support a circular economy ♻️

It’s #wastereductionweek ! ♻️ Take the week

It’s #wastereductionweek ! ♻️

Take the week to focus on this years main themes: circular economy, resource efficiency, and waste reduction.

What will you be changing in your day-to-day life to better impact the environment? How can we all contribute to a healthier Georgian Bay and beyond? Let us know in the comments! 👇

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