Join our fight against plastic pollution

With your support, we can drastically reduce the litter on our canals.

It’s estimated that millions of pieces of plastic rubbish end up in and around canals every year, with much of it drifting out into the world’s oceans, impacting the environment on a global scale. This unsightly build-up of plastic bottles, bags and food containers is putting wildlife at risk, damaging vital waterside habitats, and tarnishing our scenic city routes. This Friday, you can help us do something about it.

Our latest Plastics Challenge coincides with World Cleanup Day, which takes place on Friday 20 September. It’s the perfect opportunity for a resounding call to arms to everyone who’s as concerned about plastic rubbish on our canals and rivers as we are. So, this World Cleanup Day why not join our Plastics Challenge and help us get rid of the plastic pollution that blights our canals and rivers?

Every year, our charity spends over £1 million clearing plastic rubbish from our canals and rivers, removing bottles, coffee cups, crisp packets, packaging, and even larger and sometimes hazardous items. Our amazing volunteering teams dedicate over 100,000 hours each year to tidying up litter hotspots that ruin otherwise beautiful stretches of canal, and while their incredible contribution makes a big difference, sadly, it’s not enough. More helping hands are needed if we’re going to tackle this growing problem.

At the beginning of August, colleagues from across the Trust left their laptops and workstations and rolled up their sleeves to join the fight against plastic rubbish on our canals. In London, colleagues met at Camden Locks for a sun-filled day of litter picking along the Grand Union Canal, chatting with dogwalkers, cyclists and boaters, encouraging everyone to get involved. It was a similar story up and down the country, and every piece of plastic collected that day is one more that won’t make its way into the world’s oceans.

“I’m so pleased with the outcome of our Trust litter pick,” remarked Plastics Challenge campaign manager, Nicky. “It’s rewarding to see the beauty of the canal return immediately once the litter has been cleared. So many canal visitors have stopped to ask about supporting our work today too, which is wonderful. Today has been a huge success. I definitely feel like we’ve won a small battle against plastic rubbish here in Camden. However, we have by no means won the war. I feel it’s time to get the big guns out.”

You can help us do just that this Friday, as we call on everyone who can make it to join us on World Cleanup Day for a countrywide litter pick. If you can’t make it on Friday, don’t worry; our Plastics Challenge campaign is running throughout autumn, so there are plenty of opportunities to get down to your local canal and do your bit.

Completing a Plastics Challenge couldn’t be easier. Simply:

1. Visit your local canal armed with protective gloves or a litter picker.
2. Pick any plastic rubbish that you find (check out our litter-picking guide online to make sure you do this safely).
3. Share your litter pick online using our hashtag #PlasticsChallenge.

If you’d like to get more involved in our fight against plastic rubbish, we’re always looking for enthusiastic volunteers tojoin our Towpath Taskforce. In the meantime, we hope you’ll join us on the canalside this Friday as we bid to rid our waterways of plastic pollution and keep our network alive and thriving for years to come.