MSU alum and artist Hannah Tizedes is turning art into environmental activism through her Michigan-based nonprofit, The Cleanup Club. Growing up near Lake Erie, she saw firsthand the plastic pollution on its shores. So she began transforming trash into beautiful mosaics, sparking conversations about the 22 million pounds of plastic entering the Great Lakes each year.

While studying advertising at MSU, Hannah worked at the MSU Surplus and Recycling Center as environmental communications coordinator, raising awareness on campus about the recyclability of unexpected everyday items. She later combined her artistic talent with what she learned at MSU to launch The Cleanup Club, empowering others to protect the Great Lakes through cleanups and creativity.

In a full-circle moment, The Cleanup Club partnered with MSU students for an event at Sterling State Park. Together, they collected around 10,000 pieces of plastic waste and upcycled some of it into inspiring works of art. Hannah’s work proves that creativity drives change, and Spartans are leading the way.

This story originally appeared on the Arts MSU website.