GPS tracking bottles will monitor garbage levels in Georgian Bay
If you notice some plastic bottles floating around Georgian Bay, take a second look before throwing them away.
'Georgian Bay Forever,' an organization dedicated to conserving the bay, has dropped dozens of bottles into the water, each outfitted with GPS tracking devices.
- Download the CTV News app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local news updates sent to your inbox
According to the group, the plan is to track each bottle to locate the pathway that trash may end up into Georgian Bay and where it feeds.
"One of the most notable items we found was a garbage bag from a grocery store that had closed in the '70s in Collingwood, washed up on shore," said David Sweetnam, Georgian Bay Forever Executive Director. "It pollutes the environment for life inside the bay, as well as for us, and even the impacting just the aesthetic views of the bay for people."
The bottles were launched at 20 different locations offshore on Saturday, stretching from Thornbury to Balm Beach.
In addition to researchers, Georgian Bay Forever said the public could track the bottles online.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories

1 RCMP officer killed, 2 seriously injured while executing search warrant in Coquitlam, B.C.
One RCMP officer was killed and two others were seriously injured while police were executing a search warrant at a home in Coquitlam, B.C., Friday.
EXCLUSIVE 'Shared intelligence' from Five Eyes informed Trudeau's India allegation: U.S. ambassador
There was 'shared intelligence among Five Eyes partners' that informed Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's public allegation of a potential link between the government of India and the murder of a Canadian citizen, United States Ambassador to Canada David Cohen confirmed to CTV News.
'He was truly exceptional': Slain B.C. RCMP officer identified
B.C. RCMP has identified the officer killed while executing a search warrant in Coquitlam Friday morning as Const. Rick O'Brien.
WATCH Video of rats running on wall prompts closure of Waterloo Tim Hortons
A Tim Hortons on University of Waterloo campus has been closed after a video of rats scurrying down one of the restaurant’s walls surfaced online.
'He had a big heart': Father of fallen teenage wildland firefighter remembers his son
When 19-year-old Jaxon Billyboy graduated high school in Williams Lake in June, it was a proud moment for his father Sheldon Bowe.
How does India's visa office suspension affect Canadian travellers?
The suspension of Indian visa services for Canadians this week has prompted uncertainty among many who had hoped to travel to India in the near future. Here's what the visa centre closure could mean for India's sizable diaspora community in Canada, which is now caught in the middle of rising diplomatic tensions between the two countries.
Health Canada recalls more than 28,000 X-Lite lighters due to burn hazard
Health Canada has issued a recall notice for the X-Lite Multi-Purpose Lighter, warning consumers about the potential fire and burn hazards associated with this product.
TREND LINE Conservatives extend summer lead over Liberals, NDP sees bump in Nanos ballot tracking
With the fall sitting of Parliament underway, Nanos ballot tracking shows the federal Conservatives continue to hold onto the lead they’ve had all summer while the Liberals remain stalled, and the NDP has managed to gain a bit of steam in third place.
Who's Bob Menendez? New Jersey's senator charged with corruption has survived politically for years
Bob Menendez, 69, has survived politically for nearly five decades. The son of Cuban immigrants and an attorney by training, he was a Union City, New Jersey, school board member at age 20 -- before he graduated from law school -- and went on to become the mayor of the city. Here's some of what we know about him.