Pollution

[alpaca390]

Hi everyone,
Whilst boating down the Thames is it normal to spot rubbish and plastic pollution? How much do you see and how big is the rubbish/plastic?
Thanks

 

[Old Crusty]

Hi everyone,
Whilst boating down the Thames is it normal to spot rubbish and plastic pollution? How much do you see and how big is the rubbish/plastic?
Thanks

Quite normal, as is the agricultural run off and the welling up from discharge points by sewage treatment plants.

After high flow conditions, it's normal to see the riverbank treeline decorated with all manner of plastic detritus.

If you're lucky, you won't snag a builder's tonne bag or a Waitrose carrier bag round your prop.

 

[oldgit]

On recent visits it did appear to be better than before.
The plastic bag ban did help matter greatly.
Now we just need to make being seen with a can of RED BULL or single use water bottle within 1k of the river a hanging offence ?
Anybody even seen going into a Mcdonalds, should be.................OK thats a bit to much perhaps.

 

[Momac]

The Mc Donalds on the other side of town have litter pickers out regularly - a shame so may of their customers are such litter louts .

 

[alpaca390]

Hi everyone,
Whilst boating down the Thames is it normal to spot rubbish and plastic pollution? How much do you see and how big is the rubbish/plastic?
Thanks

If a product was created to trap plastic in the Thames, would requirements would it have to have in your eyes? e.g. not get in the way of watercraft

 

[Mark26]

The PLA already use floating rubbish traps

 

[TrueBlue]

PLA have a lot more space for moored bins and perhaps a lot mor enthusiasm than the EA....

 

[alpaca390]

If a product was created to trap plastic in the Thames, would requirements would it have to have in your eyes? e.g. not get in the way of watercraft

The PLA already use floating rubbish traps

Hi,
What would you think of smaller devices that would be much closer to the river bank, the idea is that it catches smaller pieces of litter. What requirements would this device have to have.
(this is for a project btw)
Thanks

 

[Old Crusty]

Hi,
What would you think of smaller devices that would be much closer to the river bank, the idea is that it catches smaller pieces of litter. What requirements would this device have to have.
(this is for a project btw)
Thanks

Such devices would require an EA accommodation licence for starters.

 

[Outinthedinghy]

And permission from the riparian owner.

I've been the length of the River between Staines upon Thames and Lechlade this year and always go out in dinghy once moored up. I have been pleasantly surprised at how little floating plastic litter there was. Either that or I am accustomed to it and just don't notice.

It doesn't seem to bad to me.

 

[oldgit]

And permission from the riparian owner.

I've been the length of the River between Staines upon Thames and Lechlade this year and always go out in dinghy once moored up. I have been pleasantly surprised at how little floating plastic litter there was. Either that or I am accustomed to it and just don't notice.

It doesn't seem to bad to me.

Much much better now that people have to pay for the bags they chuck into the river. Next on the list should be a deposit charge on cans and plastic single use water/pop bottles !
Dramatic decline in the number of plastic bags slowly degrading in the trees and bushes here on the Medway.

If only the little black Dog **** bags in the bushes were on the same downward trajectory.

 

[Pump-Out]

If a product was created to trap plastic in the Thames, would requirements would it have to have in your eyes? e.g. not get in the way of watercraft

Have you seen this product?
Seabin Project - Cleaner Oceans for a Brighter Future

 

[Outinthedinghy]

Much much better now that people have to pay for the bags they chuck into the river. Next on the list should be a deposit charge on cans and plastic single use water/pop bottles !
Dramatic decline in the number of plastic bags slowly degrading in the trees and bushes here on the Medway.

If only the little black Dog **** bags in the bushes were on the same downward trajectory.

Yes the plastic bag thing is much better. I do remember years ago mid nineties going up the River after flooding and the trees below Sandford lock were full of plastic bags. It was amazing how many there were and obviously as the Sandford lasher is a big Weir the rise and fall below there is significant during flooding so they extended quite a long way up the trees.

For some reason it was below Sandford that sticks in my memory. Waste from Oxford I suppose.

There have certainly been positive changes in that respect over the years.

 

[harvey38]

Have you seen this product?
Seabin Project - Cleaner Oceans for a Brighter Future

They have a couple of these, or something similar in Ramsgate marina, very efficient but need emptying frequently and if not, a complete and utter waste of time.

 

[Time Out]

Sea Bins. They are gathering momentum and we have trialed a few on some 70m+ yachts hanging off the back.

As you say need emptying frequently and to cope with significant areas they need to scale up.

Then you have the issue of where to put it all …..

Some ports. / countries are better than others. I suspect ( but don’t know ) the PLA traps went straight to landfill.

Plastic bags have been replaced by plastic bottles ….

That’s said things are getting better. Again in the big ports for big boats but this soon filters down.

Be very interested to hear what you have in mind ?

 

[russ]

I’m sickened by the amount of plastic and polystyrene beads floating pass my mooring on the Itchen river, Southampton.
Every time I visit my boat the waterline has beads stuck around it.
We rescued a fender floating mid channel last week and previously a light tube, a door and reported a large oil slick to the EA.