Melia Grasska

With a rapidly changing climate, protecting our waterways has never been so important. Not only are they some of our most beautiful natural areas, they also offer tons of amazing recreation opportunities. Who doesn’t love a summer day down by the river?

With ever increasing amounts of pollutants, single-use plastics, and personal cleansing wipes making their way into our waterways, our planet’s natural bodies of water face threats of contamination. Wet wipes are especially harmful since many are made with plastic fibers that prevent them from breaking down in plumbing and sewer systems when flushed down the toilet - even those labeled as “flushable” still don’t always break down as required. These flushed wipes can bond together to create giant masses called “fatbergs” (like this giant one found in Maryland), which clog sewer systems and cause raw sewage overflows into our waterways. This major problem affects both wildlife and drinking water sources.