We’re keen for people to record their litter to highlight the environmental issues affecting our waterways.
Adventurer and environmentalist Lizzie Carr has launched a nationwide #PlasticPatrol campaign to rid inland water of plastic pollution.
We’re asking our volunteers to register their plastic findings via the Plastic Patrol App available to download on both iOS and Android devices. If you do litter picks in your own time, it’s also a good idea to log your findings on the App.
Plastic Patrol is all about bringing together the efforts of individuals by inviting them to share their plastic pollution finds from anywhere in the world.
By crowdsourcing data, Plastic Patrol is able to create a realistic evidence base of the plastic problem, and are working with academics at University of Nottingham to identify trends, hot spots and pressure points of the problem as well as understand more about the types of plastic and, ultimately, brands responsible to drive meaningful change globally.
A staggering 80% of marine debris comes from inland sources, including our canals and rivers. Plastic Patrol’s mission is to combat the global plastic crisis by stopping the problem at its source – in our waterways.
Plastic Patrol asks that each photo aims to clearly show the type of plastic identified and any branding is visible too. In order to accurately capture the location we ask that you photograph what is found as close to source as possible.
Collecting all this information means we are feeding into an existing global database so it’s really important work and we can all be part of making significant change. Every single photo shared as part of Plastic Patrol is captured in an interactive map, creating a global picture to help identify patterns and trends all over the world for the very first time and you can view it all here.
The programme is being led by Lizzie, who became the first female in history to solo paddle board across the English Channel. Last year Lizzie was also the first person to paddleboard the 400-mile length of England’s inland waterways, solo and unsupported, to highlight the problem of plastic pollution through her nationwide initiative.