Launched in 2021, Circular Great Lakes is a bi-national initiative dedicated to advancing a circular economy for plastics across the Great Lakes. Led by the Council of the Great Lakes Region (CGLR) and supported by over 40 cross-sector partners, the initiative works to reduce plastic waste, protect the Great Lakes, and strengthen regional economies.
Circular Great Lakes is a catalyst for identifying transformational projects, forming partnerships, and mobilizing public-private sector investments to ensure valuable materials never become waste or pollution in the region — starting with plastics.
Home to 108 million people, Great Lakes economic region, with its deeply integrated sectors and supply chains, is an engine of economic activity in North America, fueling the competitiveness and prosperity of the United States and Canada, as well as commerce between both countries.
With about 21% of the world’s surface freshwater, this vital resource sustains life for thousands of species and millions of people that live near the shores of this inland sea.
It is estimated that 81% of the Great Lakes post-consumer waste is lost to landfills, including valuable materials like plastic according to a report from the US Chamber of Commerce Foundation.
An estimated 22 million pounds (10,000 tonnes) of plastic pollution could be entering the Great Lakes every year from the U.S. and Canada according to models developed by the Rochester Institute of Technology.
Every year, an estimated 22 million pounds of plastic enter the Great Lakes, representing a significant loss of valuable materials and a threat to the environment. Circular Great Lakes aims to establish a binational circular economy that prevents waste from entering waterways and keeps critical resources circulating in the regional economy.
Founded by the Council of the Great Lakes Region in 2021, the initiative brings together stakeholders from the business, government, academic, and nonprofit sectors. Its mission is to foster collaboration, align priorities, and mobilize investments needed to achieve a zero-plastic waste future in the Great Lakes region within the next decade.
Guided by a comprehensive gap analysis conducted by RRS for CGLR, the initiative supports practical, measurable actions to transition the region toward a circular economy.Using the findings from the gap analysis, a five-year circular economy strategy and action plan for forging a future without plastic packaging waste and litter was developed and released on June 28, 2022.
Managed by the binational Council of the Great Lakes Region and Pollution Probe (Canada), this first-of-its-kind initiative deploys innovative litter-capture technologies on beaches, marinas, and waterways from Lake Ontario to Lake Superior, to remove plastics. Collected plastics are analyzed and tracked, providing critical data to inform policy, research, and consumer awareness.
With funding support from Dart Container Corporation, this grant program funds the purchase and installation of storm drain capture devices such as the LittaTrap and Gutterbin to stop plastics from entering the Great Lakes through stormwater systems.
Selected grantees receive funding to install their preferred device and commit to the following over a one-year grant period:
Following successful completion of grant requirements, ongoing operation of the devices is at the discretion of the grantee.
Millions of pounds of plastic boat wrap are discarded annually. This project partners with marinas, recyclers, and manufacturers to collect, recycle, and pilot a circular solution: diverting used boat wrap away from the landfill and reverting back into usable material.
Building on front-of-store and back-of-store plastic film collection programs, this initiative is piloting a hub-and-spoke model to expand recycling of plastic bags, wraps, and films across the region.
In the Greater Chicago area alone, the model showed the potential to recover more than 67,000 pounds of material annually, highlighting a scalable pathway to increase regional recycling rates and strengthen circular economy infrastructure.
Equipping policymakers and community leaders with the knowledge and tools to shape legislation that reduces plastic waste, advances circular economy principles, and strengthens regional resilience.
Join the Circular Great Lakes initiative to advance circular economy solutions and help protect the Great Lakes for generations to come.
Charitable contributions to the CGLR Foundation is the US and the CGLR Canada Foundation are crucial for helping us integrate environmental considerations into our regional public policy decisions, business strategies, and investment choices.
Charitable contributions to the CGLR Foundation in the US and the CGLR Canada Foundation are crucial for helping us integrate environmental considerations into our regional public policy decisions, business strategies, and investment choices.
Supporting CGLR and joining our programs and outreach efforts will help bring sector leaders and stakeholders together to grow the region’s US-Canada economic partnership, transition to a sustainable future, and strengthen our competitiveness in today’s fast pace global marketplace.
