We are thrilled to work in collaboration with the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks , the Chemistry Industry Association of Canada and the University of Toronto Trash team on 'Operation Sweep the Creek' – a three-phase project designed to address the problem of plastic pellet pollution at the source.
Since the study began in 2019 the Enviropod #LittaTrap has been identified as an effective solution for preventing plastic pellet loss at a plastic facility level and in the next phase this year the LittaTrap is to be used on a watershed scale with a goal to motivate and inform provincial, national and global regulations.
The goal of the project is to determine a measurable decrease in plastic pellet pollution at the watershed scale using the LittaTrap - simple, easy-to-implement, and replicable solution.
2019 – 2020: Operation Sweep the Creek 1.0
In the summer of 2019, we quantified and characterized plastic pellets in Mimico Creek – a Toronto watershed with multiple plastics-related companies situated upstream. We then collaborated with industry stakeholders to share our findings and discuss best practices for managing plastic pellets at facilities (to read this study, click here).
2020 – 2021: Operation Sweep the Creek 2.0
In early 2020, we installed five LittaTraps in stormwater drains at the Polytainers Inc. facility in Etobicoke, Ontario. . After installation, we collected and characterized the captured plastic pellets on four occasions during an eight-month period (to read this study, click here).
2022 – 2023: Operation Sweep the Creek 3.0
Now that we know the LittaTrap is an effective solution for preventing plastic pellet loss at the facility scale, the next step is to test its impact at the watershed scale. In the summer of 2022, we plan to install multiple LittaTraps at several plastics-related companies situated in a Toronto watershed. During the summer, we will collect the plastic pellets captured by the LittaTraps as well as sample the local downstream waterway for plastic pellets before and after installation.
An exciting project with key stakeholders to reduce pre-production plastic pellet pollution and ultimately help improve Great Lakes’ water quality.
