We, the undersigned, call on Governor Whitmer, Speaker of the House Lee Chatfield, and Representative Christine Greig to take the following actions to reduce plastic pollution, reuse a greater amount of plastics by providing more recycling opportunities within our state, and retain plastic pollution by keep microplastics out of our Great Lakes and drinking water. 

1. REDUCE: Support the passing of House Bill 4500 by calling upon Representative James Lower to hold an immediate hearing so that this bill is granted the opportunity to move from house to the senate.  We urge the members of the Committee on Local Government to support it as well.  Cities should have the ability to regulate the use of plastics and polystyrene containers to lower the rates of single-use plastic pollution within their communities*.  Since municipalities do not have the right to regulate single-use plastics, we are unable to reduce the preventable harm we are causing these ecosystems found all around our great state.  

2. REUSE: Support HB 5306 and SB 701 to expand plastic bottle return rates by including water and flavored water containers, juices, teas, and other non-carbonated beverages.  A wider variety of returnables may help to boost Michigan's current recycling rate of approximately 15%(1).  States that have implemented laws such as this, such as Oregon, sees recycling rates of closer to 41% (2).  

3. RETAIN: Protecting our Great Lakes is a priority to us.  We know that annually, an estimated 22 million pounds of plastic enter our Great Lakes (3).  Plastic debris harms not only the ecosystem directly through ingestion, entanglement, and alteration of the ecosystem, but also causes economic impact to the tourism and fishing industries (4).  Requiring wastewater treatment plants to install microplastic filters will help keep our drinking water and Great Lakes safe.