An official website of the United States government. 
Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant developed a regional prevention and messaging campaign that addressed single-use beverage bottles across the Great Lakes region.
Type of Project: NOAA Sea Grant-Marine Debris Program Partnership
Region: Great Lakes
Project Dates: July 2021 - November 2023
Who was involved?
In partnership with NOAA Sea Grant and the NOAA Marine Debris Program, Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant led the development of a marine debris messaging campaign for the Great Lakes region. An advisory team made up of organizations connected through the Great Lakes Marine Debris Action Plan supported the project with their expertise.
What was the project and why is it important?
Marine debris is difficult and costly to remove, especially as it breaks up over time and through environmental exposure into microplastics. From 20 years of data involving over 14,000 Great Lakes beach cleanups led through Alliance for the Great Lakes, beverage bottles, caps, lids, and cans were among the top ten litter items collected. Keeping marine debris out of the Great Lakes is extremely important for protecting ecosystems, while maintaining and growing healthy economies in Great Lakes communities.
To address this issue, Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant developed a region-wide marine debris messaging campaign to spread awareness of marine debris in the Great Lakes. The project was coordinated with regional feedback and binational input from Ontario. The project focused on single-use beverage bottles and encouraged the use of reusable alternatives, especially when recreating near the Great Lakes.
What were the results?
“HOMES” is the iconic acronym for the names of all five Great Lakes: Huron, Ontario, Michian, Erie, Superior. The project partners developed the “Bring It From HOMES” campaign with materials that encourage beachgoers to reuse and refill their beverage bottles while reducing waste. The campaign played off of “HOMES”, the iconic acronym for the names of all five Great Lakes: Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, and Superior.
Completion of this project satisfied multiple actions from the 2020-2024 Great Lakes Marine Debris Action Plan. After the completion of the NOAA project, action plan partners continued to share the campaign with their networks and engaged the public on this important issue.