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KEEP BELLE ISLE BEAUTIFUL

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For decades, Belle Isle has played a significant role in the lives of Detroiters; truly woven into the tapestry of life for residents of the City of Detroit and many in the State of Michigan. The popular urban island park welcomes four million visitors annually, which leads to substantial environmental consequences. As a result, litter is in abundance and dramatically pollutes its local and regional waters. As a result, in 2017, Keep Belle Isle Beautiful was created as Belle Isle Park’s first and only anti-litter campaign, through this campaign, we work together with the communities and corporations to act locally while thinking globally and overall connect the Great Lakes region to the worldwide concern of single-use plastic pollution and marine litter.

WANT TO HELP?

Support our environmental initiatives on Belle Isle and join a cleanup in 2023!

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In 2021, Keep Belle Isle Beautiful programming welcomed 1,208 volunteers who removed 8,302 pounds of litter pollution from the 982-acres island park and its waterways. Thank you, volunteers!

 The Belle Isle Conservancy and Keep Belle Isle Beautiful is a proud member of the Detroit River Coalition.

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HOW DOES PLASTIC AFFECT OUR HEALTH?
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In 1974, global plastic consumption per year was 4.4 pounds per capita. Today, this has increased to about 95 pounds — and this number is still set to increase. If plastic consumption increases at its current rate, according to National Geographic, by 2050 there will be 12 billion metric tons of plastic in landfills. It is said that by 2050, there will be more plastic in our world’s oceans than fish.

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  • 91% of plastic ever produced has not been recycled and still exists today

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  • According to National Geographic, 73% of all beach litter is plastic. The litter includes filters from cigarette butts, bottles, bottle caps, food wrappers, grocery bags, and polystyrene containers.

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  • The average time that a plastic bag is used for is 12 minutes.

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  • Plastic bags are used one time for an estimated 12 minutes and then take up to a thousand years to decompose.

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  • Over the past 50 years, world plastic production has doubled.

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