Green Suttons Bay (GSB) is a grassroots, all-volunteer organization dedicated to protecting our natural environment and enhancing our quality of life through green initiatives, sustainable practices, and educational events.
From November 2024 through May 2025, a dedicated team of GSB volunteers gathered regularly to focus on one pressing issue: the overuse of plastics in Suttons Bay. Their efforts expanded in July, when GSB partnered with the Watershed Center for a community beach cleanup as part of the Great Lakes Plastics Cleanup — using an innovative beach-cleaning robot called the BeBot.
Why plastics? Because the problem is bigger than many realize. Microplastics are turning up everywhere — in our lakes, our soil, even our bodies. Research shows they can carry harmful chemicals, some of which are toxic and potentially carcinogenic. Alarmingly, scientists have found microplastics accumulating in the human brain, with concentrations rising nearly 50% between 2016 and 2024. This growing health concern makes local action more important than ever.
