Sertifi Participates in Adopt-a-Beach Initiative

The Sertifi team collects trash and recyclables at Oak Street Beach to address plastic pollution in the Great Lakes area

As the weather in Chicago was finally warming up, Chicagoans swarmed the beach to soak up the sun on a scorching hot afternoon. On Thursday, the Sertifi team followed suit and left the office early to join the crowd at Oak Street Beach. But, with trash bags, gloves, and clipboards. 

Giving back to the community has always been a top priority for Sertifi, so the team participated in the Adopt-a-Beach initiative through a partnership with Alliance for the Great Lakes. Sertifi team members gathered at the southern end of Oak Street Beach and spent two hours collecting trash and recyclables left behind by other beachgoers. 

The Adopt-a-Beach initiative is aimed at addressing severe environmental concerns created by more than 22 million pounds of plastic pollution that end up in the Great Lakes every year, as estimated by Rochester Institute of Technology. Even worse, plastic pollution breaks down into smaller pieces known as “microplastics,” creating a lasting impact to the health of the Great Lakes. 

Thanks to the collaborative effort by some 15,000 volunteers that engaged in hundreds of beach cleanups across all five Great Lakes, about 18 tons of trash was removed from the beach by the end of each year.  

Anna Langdon, Sertifi’s Office Coordinator who helped put together the volunteering program, says the team is excited to team up with Alliance for the Great Lakes to collect trash and recyclables at one of the most visited beaches in Chicago. By participating in such a great cause, the Sertifi team hopes to contribute their own efforts to reduce the amount of pollution that goes into the Great Lakes and raise public awareness of these alarming environmental issues. 

“It’s been an awesome team building activity, a great way to meet coworkers and clean up the beach,” says Carly Kaluzna, Customer Success Manager at Sertifi.  

For more information on how you can get involved with the Adopt-a-Beach initiative, check out Alliance for the Great Lakes!