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T1 Mississippi River Plastic Pollution Initiative: 2021 Science Report
A1 United Nations Environment Programme, 
A1 University of Georgia, 
A2 Youngblood, Kathryn
A2 Finder, Sheridan
A2 Jambeck, Jenna
K1 plastic waste
K1 marine pollution
K1 citizen science
K1 United States
PB Jambeck Research Group
YR 2021
FD 2021
LK https://wedocs.unep.org/handle/20.500.11822/36748
UL https://wedocs.unep.org/handle/20.500.11822/36748
NO The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) North America Office, the Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative (MRCTI), the University of Georgia’s Debris Tracker, National Geographic Society, and other local and national partners worked together on a pilot study for the Mississippi River Plastic Pollution Initiative to generate a first-ever snapshot of the state of plastic pollution along the Mississippi River. The data was generated through a ‘citizen science’ approach, enlisting the participation of hundreds of community volunteers covering targeted areas along the river to understand the movement and accumulation of plastic pollution. Debris Tracker, an open data citizen science movement and free mobile phone app, was used to collect the data. Three cities participated in the pilotstudy: Baton Rouge, Louisiana; St. Louis, Missouri; and St. Paul, Minnesota. The data gathered in the basin, along the river and in the pilot communities was examined to understand the state of plastic litter in these river cities. The goal was to generate as rich a picture as possible, within a dedicated timeframe, of the extent and type of litter that can make its way to the river.
DS UN Environment Document Repository
RD Sep 16, 2026