An estimated 39 million pieces of litter accumulate along Britain’s canals and towpaths each year, according to new research. The Canal & River Trust’s Little Canal Litter Pick campaign is encouraging people to help clean up waterways and record their efforts on an interactive map.
A NATIONWIDE campaign is urging the public to take action against the millions of pieces of rubbish threatening Britain’s waterways.
New research has revealed that an estimated 39 million items of litter accumulate on canals and towpaths every year, and an interactive map has been launched to help identify pollution hotspots on the network.
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The fresh research estimates that plastics account for about 40% of recorded litter, posing a threat to wildlife and the habitats that make canals and rivers such important environmental corridors.
Now, the Canal & River Trust’s Little Canal Litter Pick is asking people in England and Wales to clean up their local towpaths and record their efforts on an interactive map. It spends more than £4 million annually tackling litter and fly-tipping, while volunteers contribute more than 200,000 hours each year to keeping waterways clean and welcoming.
An estimated 2.6 million people have picked litter on a trust-owned waterway in the past 12 months, demonstrating the scale of public commitment to protecting these much-loved places.
Trust ambassador Ranvir Singh said individual action could make a meaningful difference, even when it involves collecting just one piece of rubbish. “The Little Canal Litter Pick is an opportunity for even more people to get involved,” she said, “whether that’s collecting a single piece of litter or a full bag.”
The boating community already habitually does this – for instance, the National Bargee Travellers Association (NBTA), which represents the interests of all itinerant live-aboard boat dwellers, holds high-profile towpath clean-ups through its Nomadic Litterpickers group.
In January, the association voiced concerns when a parliamentary debate highlighted escalating reports of littering and antisocial behaviour on the Kennet and Avon Canal. Bath MP Wera Hobhouse went on to urge the Government to overhaul canal legislation and strengthen enforcement powers, but the NBTA responded by stating that greater enforcement powers are not the answer.
“The vast majority of the boater community are law-abiding, community-minded citizens who are more concerned than anyone that antisocial behaviour and littering on the waterways they call home is dealt with,” it said at the time of the debate. “Tidying up pockets of the waterways is entirely possible within the scope of current legislation and in conjunction with government agencies empowered and properly trained to achieve this.”
Now, by mapping voluntary clean-up efforts, the CRT said the campaign will demonstrate the collective impact of community action and help it understand where additional support is most needed.
Chief executive Campbell Robb said canals had become vital wildlife habitats as well as places for people to enjoy. The charity is tackling pollution through volunteer clean-ups and initiatives including litter boats, bubble barriers and the WasteShark aquatic drone, he said, but the continuing problem of litter and fly-tipping means further action is needed.
The Little Canal Litter Pick runs until November 3, made possible through funds raised by players of Postcode Lottery. To take part, visit canalrivertrust.org.uk/litterpick
