Thames21 praises local volunteers as London Assembly report quotes Thames River Watch plastic bottle data

Published

Date of release: April 13, 2017

The London Assembly’s environment committee launched its report today (April 13) on bottled water, urging Mayor Sadiq Khan to address the growing problem of plastic bottle waste in his upcoming Environment Strategy.

The report draws on research by Thames21’s Thames River Watch project which shows that 10 per cent of the plastic litter found on the foreshores is single use plastic bottles – 49 per cent of them being bottled water.

The report highlights that Thames River Watch citizen science volunteers found 2,500 bottles across 11 sites in one day last year on the Thames foreshores, in the first ever co-ordinated attempt to measure the problem.

Debbie Leach, Chief Executive of Thames21, said: “We’re pleased that we have been able to provide useful data for the report from our Thames River Watch programme.

“It is fantastic to see our citizen science research is being put to such good use towards debate among decision makers and helping to inform change and progress on this issue.

“We would also underline that if it wasn’t for London’s fantastic volunteers who have for years given their spare time to help at the charity’s river clean up events across the capital, London would be drowning beneath a mountain of plastic bottle waste.

“We share the Environment Committee’s view that a Deposit Return Scheme should be looked at as an important way of addressing the huge problem of single use plastic bottles ending up in London’s waterways.”

ENDS
Notes for editors
About Thames21
Thames21 is an environmental charity putting healthy rivers back at the heart of community life. Through environmental improvements, education, research and advocacy efforts, Thames21 is inspiring and influencing effective and lasting change by working hand-in-hand with communities to deliver tangible and measurable improvements for urban rivers.
www.thames21.org.uk | Registered Charity No. 1103997
Media Contact
Ian Lamont
Communications Manager at Thames21
Ian.Lamont@thames21.org.uk
07739 627 667
020 7248 7171