Join Blue Bayfield in our effort to reduce the use of disposable plastics and protect our Lake and waterways!

FACTS ABOUT SINGLE USE PLASTICS

GREAT LAKES

Have twice the plastics than in the ocean (430,000 pieces per sq. km.)
45 million people depend on lakes for drinking water
10,000 tons of plastic enter lakes annually. 1 billion micro fibres enter the Great Lakes daily from laundry

STRAWS

Every day North Americans throw away enough straws to fill the Rogers Centre to the roof
3 billion plastic straws pollute the world’s beaches
Canadians throw out about 57 million straws every day
Straws are the 8th most found ocean trash in cleanups by quantity
Most plastic used in straw production cannot be recycled
Straws are dangerous to seabirds, as they can be picked up and swallowed, suffocating and choking the bird. Over 1 million seabirds die each year from ingesting plastic

PLASTIC WATER BOTTLES

Only 5% are recycled
To make a bottle takes 1/3 litre of oil and 4 litres of water
the contents of bottled water are not available but municipal water is tested for 140 (naturally occurring) minerals, chemicals and contaminates
30% of bottled water is tap water
North Americans send more than 42 billion water bottles to landfills every year, the equivalent of 4 billion litres of oil. In Ontario, one billion plastic water bottles go to landfill annually
Bottled water is 2,000 times more energy intensive to produce than tap water
Plastic bottles can take up to 1,000 years to break down
93 % of the bottled water tested contained microplastic
One litre of bottled water costs approximately 600 times more than the cost of a litre of tap water

BAGS

Americans use 100 billion plastic bags a year, which require 12 million barrels of oil to manufacture. 1% are recycled
Breakdown up to 500 years in landfill
The average family takes home about 1,500 plastic bags a year
Plastic bags used each year, world-wide: 4,000,000,000,000
10% of our total oil supply goes to making plastic & 12 million barrels of oil a year are used to make plastic bags in the USA

POLYSTYRENE TRAYS/CUPS

US citizens discard 25 trillion polystyrene cups every year
Polystyrene contains toxic substances Styrene and Benzene, carcinogens that are hazardous to humans. Hot foods/ liquids cause breakdown of product
Containers that have previously been used for food storage create a food hygiene issue for recyclers and are not accepted

PLASTIC IMPACT ON WILDLIFE

At least 267 species have been affected by plastic pollution
100,000 marine animals are killed by plastic bags annually
One in three turtles have been found with plastic in their stomachs
Plastic is present in most Great Lakes fish

WE SHOULD REDUCE OUR USE OF PLASTICS: A CLIMATE CRISIS

In 2019, producing and incinerating plastic will emit an estimated 850 million metric tons of greenhouse gases, the equivalent of 189 coal-fired power plants. If production continues on the same trajectory, by 2030 plastic-related greenhouse gas emissions will reach 1.34 gigatons per year, which is roughly the emissions released by 295 coal plants. By 2050, the annual greenhouse gas emissions from plastics will reach an estimated 2.8 gigatons per year – the equivalent of 615 coal plants. This represents 13% of the world’s total emissions of CO2.

Business

Businesses can join Blue Bayfield by signing up for the Blue Bayfield Business Program

Community Groups and Organizations

Community Groups can join Blue Bayfield by signing our Blue Pledge.

Neighbours

Our neighbouring communities can become Blue by adopting a Blue Plan of their own! This is a grassroots effort, you don’t need anything but a willingness to speak up and be heard! We encourage you to become Blue Goderich, Blue Clinton and Blue Huron and more! We would be happy to share our experiences with you and would be excited to learn from you! Contact us today!

Individuals

Become a Blue Bayfield Committee Member. Email us to Learn More

Participate in a 2 minute Beach Clean.

Choose to remove disposable plastics from your every day life by carrying a re-useable water bottle and utilizing re-useable shopping bags.

Visitors

Please hold us accountable! Ask our vendors to provide tap water and alternatives to plastic!

Visit our Blue Flag Beach and learn what it means to fly this prestigious flag.

Visit our parks and rain gardens and learn how we are working to protect and expand these areas.

Don’t use disposable plastic items or bring them to the beach.

Participate in a 2 minute Beach Clean.

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