Inland Community Pioneers in the Plastic Pollution Fight

We’ve all seen the stories about plastic pollution in the ocean. But the journey of plastic pollution begins much farther inland, passing directly through cities and communities that depend on those waterways. 

Along the way, microplastics contaminate drinking water, freshwater habitats, and food systems long before it reaches the coast. In fact, nearly 80% of marine plastic originates from land-based products, with rivers serving as one of the main pathways transporting it to the ocean. 

Researchers have documented impacts from plastic pollution in inland cities like St. Louis, Baton Rouge, and around Lake Mead. Fortunately, local organizations and community leaders are working to reduce plastic pollution at its source, thus protecting waterways and communities upstream. 

Caught in the Current

The Mississippi River is one of the most studied rivers in the country when it comes to plastic, and the numbers show a growing problem. Scientists sampling the river found that microplastic levels actually increase as the river passes through St. Louis on its way south instead of thinning out. Researchers at St. Louis University discovered 237 different types of microplastics in riverbed sediment across the Meramec watershed, connecting contamination to nearby land use and local pollution sources.

To tackle the problem, the city joined the Mississippi River Plastic Pollution Initiative partnering with other mayors along the river to volunteer to track and log plastic waste through a simple smartphone app. Locally, organizations like the Missouri Confluence Waterkeeper map where plastics show up the most with the bigger goal as organizers from the University City’s Department of Public works state “preventing more, picking up less,” putting pressure on companies that contribute to the creation of the world’s single-use plastics in the first place.

Hooked on Plastic 

The city of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, sits along a stretch of the Mississippi near a major petrochemical corridor; here, plastics have already made it into the food system. The lower Mississippi River carries around 328 billion microplastic particles into the Gulf of Mexico each year. Water samples that were collected upstream and downstream from Baton Rouge all contained concentrations of microplastics. 

The evidence doesn’t stop at the water’s surface. Microplastics have been found in four freshwater fish species from the Mississippi River, including bluegill and largemouth bass, showing that plastic pollution has already worked its way into the food web. The pattern continues in nearby St. Francisville where 12.66% of sampled fish contained microplastics, underscoring how plastic pollution is affecting aquatic life in the lower Mississippi River.  

Taking matters into their own hands, Baton Rouge residents formed the Louisiana Stormwater Coalition, an all-volunteer group that organizes regular cleanups along waterways like the Bayou Fountain and assisted in the development of a stormwater litter management plan. The coalition partnered with local organizations to install a 75 foot litter catcher that captures floating plastic before it reaches other downstream locations. 

Drinking Downstream 

Out west, the source of pollution looks different but the risk may even be more personal. The Colorado River moves through farms, cities, and deserts before flowing into Lake Mead, a reservoir that supplies drinking water to nearly 25 million people across the Southwest. 

Microplastics have been found throughout the reservoir’s water and lakebed with one sediment core preserving nearly 19 years of plastic buildup. Much of that contamination has been traced back to Las Vegas Wash, a channel that carries treated wastewater from four treatment plants. 

The problem reaches far beyond Lake Mead. A separate survey detected microplastics in every Colorado river and stream sampled, highlighting the scale of contamination across a watershed that supplies water to around 40 million people and supports 5.5 million acres of farmland.

Communities across the Colorado River Basin are responding by monitoring plastic pollution and restoring waterways before contaminants spread farther downstream. Volunteers and local organizations like Environment Colorado continue to document the presence of microplastics in waterways. At the same time, long term restoration efforts along the Las Vegas Wash work to improve water quality by stabilizing streambanks and restoring wetlands before water enters Lake Mead. Together these efforts recognize that protecting drinking water begins long before it reaches the tap. 

You Don’t Need a Coastline to Take Action

The stories of St. Louis, Baton Rouge, and Lake Mead show that inland communities are not waiting for plastic pollution to reach the coast before taking action. Across the country residents, researchers, and local organizations are finding new ways to track and reduce plastic pollution before it enters rivers, reservoirs, and food systems. 

The fight against plastic pollution begins with you. Visit EARTHDAY.ORG’S the Great Global Cleanup map to find a cleanup near you or register one in your own community. 

EARTHDAY.ORG is the driving force behind the Earth Day movement year-round. You can have articles like this emailed to your inbox by signing up for our email list. Make sure to also check out our social media at X, Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube for environmental news and information straight from the Earth Day source.

This article is available for republishing on your website, newsletter, magazine, newspaper, or blog. The accompanying imagery is cleared for use with attribution. Please ensure that the author’s name and their affiliation with EARTHDAY.ORG are credited. Kindly inform us if you republish so we can acknowledge, tag, or repost your content. You may notify us via email at [email protected]. Want more articles? Follow us on substack.