Families urged to make the plastic pledge

AN increase in litter on the towpath and in the waterways has prompted the Canal & River Trust to renew its call to families across England & Wales to join its Plastics Challenge.

In the last six months the trust has seen a 68% increase in reports about unsightly litter and figures showed that reports more than doubled during June compared with the same time last year.

The increase is likely to be down to an increased public awareness of the plastics issue and the fact that in many urban areas towpath usage has dramatically increased during the coronavirus lockdown.

Many families will be looking for activities to do over the coming months and the Canal & River Trust’s Plastics Challenge offers an opportunity for people to get outdoors and make a big difference to their local area.

If every time someone visited their local canal or river they picked up and disposed of just one piece of plastic, within a year there would be no plastic left.

CRT national environmental policy advisor Peter Birch said: “Every year 14 million pieces of plastic end up in and around our canals and rivers and these plastic bottles, food wrappers, bags and straws can be harmful for the fish, swans, ducks and birds that make the canals their home.

“By making a pledge to support our Plastics Challenge and taking part in a litter pick with your family, or on your own as part of your daily exercise, you are making a commitment to helping the local wildlife too.”

While people need to carefully follow Government guidelines on social distancing and washing their hands, the trust is asking visitors to carry out a short litter pick while enjoying some exercise at their local canal or river.

To ensure everyone takes part in the challenge safely the trust has created a handy guide which can be downloaded from the Canal & River Trust website. Please make sure you wear gloves or use a litter picker if you have one, and please take home what you collect and recycle what you can.

To make a pledge to support the Canal & River Trust’s Plastics Challenge, visit www. canalrivertrust.org.uk/plasticschallenge or follow us on social media @CanalRiverTrust #PlasticsChallenge

The charity would love to hear from people who have taken the challenge and is encouraging people to share their photos on social media with the #PlasticsChallenge