An electric bike, a shopping trolley and dozens of bags full of plastic bottles, cans and wrappers were recovered from the banks of the River Derwent when a major litter-pick took place in the centre of Derby.
Around 100 volunteers, including staff and students from Derby College and the University of Derby, retrieved the rubbish so that it could be properly disposed of following the event, which was called the Big Derby Clean Up and took place yesterday.
The clean-up was the brainchild of city environmental organisation Think Ocean, which joined forces with the college and the University to clear rubbish from the banks and immediate vicinity of the river around the Museum of Making, the River Gardens and Bass’s Recreation Ground.
Joining the organisations were staff from Hazelwood firm Lubrizol, staff from Derby City Council, from waste management firm Veolia along X Factor singer Russel Jones Jr – who is an ambassador for Think Ocean – and Channel 4’s Amazing Spaces and Tool Club star Max McMurdo.
Think Ocean campaigns to raise awareness of the damage being done to the marine environment by the millions of tonnes of discarded plastic that ends up in the sea each year, having first flowed from inland via rivers.
Yesterday’s event was the perfect example of what the group works so hard to raise awareness of, with the volunteers returning from their litter-picking duties with bags full of rubbish and plastic, much of which was left over from the flooding caused by Storm Babet last year.
Think Ocean’s joint founder, Hugo Valdes-Vera, meanwhile, took to the river in an inflatable canoe to retrieve more plastic from its waters, filling even more rubbish bags with bits of old sheeting, bottles and food wrappers.
He said: “We’re very grateful to everybody for giving up their time today. They collected a lot of rubbish which can now be properly disposed of so that it won’t ever get anywhere near to the sea.
“Events like this are really important for us because they make a difference but also show people how bad this problem is. Ocean plastic pollution isn’t caused by what happens out at sea, it starts inland when someone drops a bottle and it ends up in a nearby stream or river.”
Liz Thompson, environment and sustainability manager at the University of Derby, said: “This event has helped the students to understand that they can make a difference in the city in which they study and that there is a community here that they can connect with.
“Derbyshire is a landlocked county, so there’s not an obvious connection with the ocean. This event helps them to understand how all waterways lead to the sea and that they can have a positive impact right here in the centre of Derby.
“It’s something that our researchers at the University are doing too, with their ground-breaking research exploring ways to protect our coral reefs.”
Think Ocean has six team members, operating globally, advocating for environmental conservation and spearheading initiatives to mitigate plastic pollution.
Last year it was awarded a grant from the European Commission’s Horizon Europe project to develop a device which can scoop thousands of tonnes of plastic waste from river waters in order to prevent it from ever reaching the oceans.
To find out more about Think Ocean visit www.thinkocean.earth
This story was written and shared on behalf of Think Ocean by Simon Burch. Can we share your news and get you in the headlines too? Find out how we can help by getting in touch.
