Exploratory Investigation of the Plastic Consumption Habits of Marquette County Residents, Upper Peninsula Michigan

Abstract:

The Upper Peninsula, Michigan, has three treasured Great Lakes in Northern Michigan: Lake
Michigan, Huron, and Superior. The treasures are at risk for reasons including that an estimated
10,000 metric tons (22 million pounds) of plastics enter the Great Lakes every year. This poses a
massive threat to the aquatic organisms and wildlife in the lakes and the millions relying on the lakes
for drinking water. As aptly noted by Tyrone Dobson, the Volunteer Manager at Alliance for the
Great Lakes, “plastic pollution… is a consumption problem”, mainly arising from the consumption
of single-use plastics. Therefore, addressing the problem requires that the plastic use habits of
consumers be first understood. This extends to exploring and understanding how consumers use
plastics, whether they recycle plastics, and how they manage their plastic waste. We are unaware of
any study exploring such issues in the Upper Peninsula. We are also unaware of any study exploring
the Upper Peninsula residents’ awareness and knowledge of plastic sustainability issues. To bridge
these gaps, we have been surveying (ongoing) the residents of Marquette County, the most
populated and largest city on the Upper Peninsula, to explore their plastic use habits and knowledge
of plastic sustainability issues. We have also been doing follow-up interviews with some survey
respondents to further explore their plastic consumption habits, plastic recycling practices,
motivations to use less plastic, and how best the county residents could be supported to make the
transition. The focus of this presentation is the findings from the survey.

Keywords: Sustainability, Plastic Use, Plastic Waste, Marquette Michigan, Community

Authors: