Mayors of cities and towns along the Mississippi River made a commitment to reduce plastic waste in the Mississippi River Valley in September 2018. Under the leadership of the Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative (MRCTI), mayors invited public and private entities to reduce their plastic use or waste stream by 20% by 2020. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) North America Office, the Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative (MRCTI), the University of Georgia’s Debris Tracker, and other partners worked together on the Mississippi River Plastic Pollution Initiative (MRPPI) to generate a first-ever snapshot of the state of plastic pollution along the Mississippi River.