Ohio Sea Grant completed a successful 2025 season using trash-collecting robots BeBot and PixieDrone to clean Lake Erie’s coastline, removing 856 debris pieces between April and October. Funded by Meijer, the Great Lakes Plastic Cleanup program partnered with Cleveland Metroparks, Cuyahoga Community College and other organizations across Ohio’s western and central Lake Erie basins. The initiative reached over 1,700 people through 17 outreach events, including eight beach cleanups where 754 volunteers (80% being middle and high school students) participated. The community-named robot “Sir Cleans-A-Lot” gave students hands-on experience operating the equipment.
The Great Lakes Plastic Cleanup, a joint effort between Pollution Probe and the bi-national Council of the Great Lakes Region, is the first-of-its-kind using innovative technology to quickly remove plastic litter and marine debris at sites across the Great Lakes region. The electric BeBot cleans beaches by sifting sand, while the PixieDrone collects floating waste in water. Since 2022, Meijer has donated nearly $2 million to expand these cleanup technologies across 18 Great Lakes locations.
Learn more at greatlakesplasticcleanup.org.
ohio sea grant facebook
