Press release, [embargo] Wednesday 16th October
TREASURE YOUR RIVER! Organisations urged to join largest ever collaboration to reduce litter along five major UK rivers
• Treasure Your River aims to collect 90 tonnes of litter from the Rivers Avon, Mersey, Thames, Severn and Forth
• Research reveals that 500,000 items of litter make their way into the sea from UK rivers every year
• Funded by The Coca-Cola Foundation, the campaign will educate people about the role rivers play as pathways contributing to ocean pollution
Businesses, residents and organisations situated along five of the UK’s biggest rivers have an opportunity to join the largest ever collaborative effort to prevent and reduce the amount of litter entering our waterways, and subsequently the ocean. The Treasure Your River campaign will tackle the Rivers Avon, Mersey, Thames, Severn and Forth and their tributaries. The campaign, which is being run by environmental charity Hubbub and funded by The Coca-Cola Foundation, will initially focus on prevention and clean-up activities on five major cities based on these rivers – Bristol, Manchester, London, Cardiff and Edinburgh, which between them are home to 1 in 7 of the UK population. Treasure Your River which is due to launch in May 2020, will educate the public about how rivers are transporting rubbish from our streets and riverbanks to the sea. As well as tackling littering behaviour with engaging bins and eye-catching interventions, the campaign aims to remove 90 tonnes of litter from these five rivers and their tributaries over the next year. Trewin Restorick from Hubbub said “The vast majority of plastics that end up in the world’s oceans are carried there by rivers. Cleaning up the river is one thing but preventing litter getting in there in the first place is really crucial. Until we change behaviour on land, this problem will just continue. “Our research showed that 81% of people believe businesses should be doing more to tackle the issue. We want all organisations along the banks of these rivers to come together and help halt the flow of litter into the sea. Whether you’re a sailing club, a school, a local business, a charity or a resident, we want to hear from you!” A network of volunteers from organisations including Thames21, Keep Wales Tidy, Bristol Waste, Mersey Rivers Trust and Changeworks have already signed up. The plan is for the campaign to expand to further rivers and cities in the UK and Hubbub is keen to hear from potential partners in other locations interested in collaborating.