EDGEWATER, Ohio — Hundreds of tons of litter is estimated to be in Lake Erie, which provides drinking water to millions of people. A group of volunteers is working to cleanup what they can and are encouraging others to do the same.

Cigarettes, cigarillo tips, bottle caps and straws are just some examples of the trash Erin Huber Rosen finds each time she comes to Edgewater Beach. 

“We may not be finding a ton of big bottles on the beach or tires anymore, or whatnot, but these little pieces are extremely harmful to the environment and to the whole system that makes our lake great,” said Huber, founder and executive director of Drink Local. Drink Tap. “A lot of people think that cigarette butts are biodegradable because they're kind of paper feeling, but they're really not. They take forever to downgrade and the environment and have 2,000 chemicals in this tiny little thing. And no fish or animals can live within a cubic square foot of one of these butts in our lake. So please use an ashtray or trash can.”

Drink Local. Drink Tap. is a non-profit organization with a mission to improve water equity. From April to September, Huber hosts beach cleanups with different companies, school groups and individuals. She does so because our waterways give us life.

“This water serves over 40 million people with their drinking water,” said Huber. “And if we don't keep it great, if we don't keep it clean, who will?”

The Rochester Institute of Technology estimates there is 381 tons of plastic in Lake Erie, and most of it is on the bottom.

“We've picked up over 16,000 pounds of trash since 2010,” said Huber. “This [plastic] ends up in the ecosystem through the food chain through the fish. And then when we eat the fish, we eat the plastic, and it ends up in our systems, too. So it's not healthy for anyone.”

The beach cleanups are about more than making the beach look pretty. 

“We also have to think about our health and environmental health,” said Huber. “This environment gives us life so we really need to protect it.”

She aims to encourage people to protect it not only for generations now, but generations to come.

“This is for our community, for our kids, for future generations to get this trash out of here and put it where it belongs,” said Bill Schubert, a beach cleanup participant. 

“It just doesn't happen on its own,” said Jeffrey Cecil, a board member of Drink Local. Drink Tap and a beach cleanup participant. “I'm happy and proud to live here in Cleveland, I think it sets a good example for my kids in the community. And it's a simple thing to get involved. It takes two hours out of my week, you know, it's a very small thing I can do to give back, I'm happy to do it.”

Sydney and Noah Franklin came to support their parents and represent the younger generation because she said all ages can do their part in helping the Earth. 

“I mean, this is their world too. And they need to help keep their world clean,” said Sydney Franklin, 10. “You only get one world. You can get a lot of things in life. You can get more things, if it's broken, it gets ruined, but you can't really trash the world. Because if you trash it, it's gonna be ruined and it’ll just be a sad, horrible world.”

Huber said people have to take care of what is in their control, which is why she said coming out to the beach to clean up is so important, but it also starts at home. 

“Everything is downstream,” said Huber. “So when the wind blows or the rain flows, everything ends up in our lake in our waterways. So it's important to take care of not only our beaches but our neighborhoods, too.”

Drink Local. Drink Tap still has more beach cleaups happening in September. For more information click here.