Marine Debris Tracker

In September 2018, state legislators and mayors of cities and towns along the Mississippi River made a commitment to reduce plastic waste in the Mississippi River Valley. Under the leadership of the Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative (MRCTI), mayors invited public and private entities to reduce their plastic use or waste stream by 20% by 2020. To support this goal, a new initiative has been launched to generate a first-ever snapshot of plastic pollution along the river, in partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme, National Geographic Society, and the University of Georgia. Through engaging citizen scientists, the initiative will begin with data collection in three locations along the Mississippi River: Baton Rouge, St. Louis, and St. Paul. The data gathered in these locations will be analyzed to understand the state of plastic litter along the river’s banks and in communities adjacent to the river and will be used to generate a plastic pollution map that will help local stakeholders including policy makers, businesses, and citizens take action. It is expected that data collection will then be expanded to many more sites along the river.

We need you to make this initiative a success! Join us by using the Debris Tracker app to collect data on litter inyour community and along the river and contribute to valuable datasets that can inform local solutions. Your efforts will help ensure a clean river, and clean seas for all.