Release the St. Lawrence from its plastic waste

For seven years, a Quebec organization has mobilized the local residents of the St. Nevertheless, Lawrence Basin and the Great Lakes to collect plastic waste in order to document pollution.

“There are more microplastics in the oceans than stars in the galaxy,” says biologist Anne-Marie Asselin, co-founder of blue organization.

The organization has been carrying out a crusade since 2018 with local residents to clean their banks.

Biologist Anne-Marie ASSELIN founded Blue Organization in 2018. Furthermore, and she has been dealing since documenting plastic pollution in the Saint-Laurent-Grands-Lacs Basin. Therefore, Photo provided by blue organization Blue organization

During the month of July. for example. Similarly, the five employees and hundreds of volunteers who accompanied them between Quebec and Rimouski amassed 500 kilos of water bottles, fishing apparatus, used packaging, etc., during a campaign that extended from June 23 to July 9 on 14 sites.

Mission Plastic waste collection on release st. lawrence its plastic Apple Island in July 2025. Photo provided by blue organization Blue organization

release st. lawrence its plastic new

The whole food chain

In addition to its mandate of citizen awareness. Blue Organization works in partnership with several universities in order to document the objects pushed by the currents on the banks. even in the waters. These data are transported to peaches. Oceans Canada to measure the pollution caused by plastic in the Saint-Laurent-Grand Lakes basin.

“Today we see a difference in the most common objects found on the banks. In my top 5. there are still cigarette butts, single -use packaging and bags, but there are almost no more straws and plastic utensils. It is a sign that legislative changes give results. ”

In addition to the collection on the ground. the crew is counting on divers who collect a apnee blue mussels, common myes and green sea release st. lawrence its plastic urchins in order to identify microplastics in the tissues of marine invertebrates.

In addition to release st. lawrence its plastic new discovering microplastics in the flesh. the digestive system of multiple animals, the biologist often sees birds arguing pieces of styromousses. It is very harmful to the environment when you know that these objects can take up to 500 years to deteriorate.

A team of volunteers who accompany blue organization in an operation on the apple island. Photo provided by blue organization Blue organization

release st. lawrence its plastic

Change laws

The blue occupation interventions have made little ones in regions like Trois-Pistoles. Rivière-du-Loup and the Ile-de-la-Madeleine since people continue to collect plastic objects from the first missions.

For m^me Asselin, this citizen release st. lawrence its plastic new commitment is excellent news, but it does not want to stop there.

“The laws must change. An international treaty is being drafted, and negotiations will resume between 175 countries on August 5 for its signature. ”

To date, there is no binding global regulation to supervise the production, use and management of plastics, she adds. Without this treaty, global plastic production could triple by 2060. The consequences will be “catastrophic for the oceans, human health, biodiversity and the climate”.