Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) Commissioner Mariyana T. Spyropoulos and her cleanup crew joined other volunteers and collected 47.6 lb of trash and recyclables at the Alliance for the Great Lakes 12th Street Beach cleanup event held July 18 along the Chicago lakefront.
The John G. Shedd Aquarium hosted the monthly cleanup, and this was the season’s fourth regularly scheduled gathering of the 2012 Adopt-A-Beach season.
Volunteers collected items that cannot be collected by Chicago Park District tractors. Teams of three to four meticulously combed the sand looking for debris and waste and counting each item. Volunteers found lighter items such as shoes and clothing along with cigarettes and glass fragments as well as heavier items such as metal rods and blocks of concrete. During the July 18 event, 24.4 lb of trash and 23.2 lb of recyclables were collected.
“It’s inspiring to see our youth learning the benefits of keeping our environment clean since they will inherit it in years to come,” said Commissioner Spyropoulos.
Beach cleanings are held monthly and begin promptly at noon. Other upcoming dates for the 12th Street cleanup are: Aug. 15, Sept. 15 and Oct. 17. For more information about the 12th Street Beach cleanups, visit sheddaquarium.org.
Source: MWRD