Paddle & Pick campaigns
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The waterways of London are great places for activity, relaxation and getting in touch with nature. However, in places they are blighted by litter and in particular plastic waste. This is part of a worldwide problem. Much of the litter ends up in the open ocean, it is ingested by fish and marine mammals and enters the food chain. Plastic pollution is a growing problem around the world and right here in London. Plastic, particularly single use plastic, threatens the health of our rivers, lakes, oceans, marine life and eventually human life. We want to create a cleaner, healthier environment to benefit all of us. Are you on board?
Active360 have been organising and helping with clean-ups of our local waterways since 2011. In these Paddle & Pick events, we let participants use paddleboards and canoes, including a short lesson if required, in return for getting involved in clearing a section of canal of plastic waste. This fun element has worked well to encourage people, who would perhaps not otherwise get involved in clean-up events.
Please check our Events Calendar for next clean-up sessions at our SUP locations:
- Paddington Basin
- Kew Bridge
- Putney
- Brentfod Lock
Together with the Plastic Ocean Festival, we are now pleased to offer companies opportunities to carry out their own clean-up events using stand-up paddleboards and canoes. These events can be fully customised to fit your organisation’s objectives and timetable. For more information, see the Canal & River Plastic Pollution Awareness Events brochure.
Project partners:
- Watertrek (Paris based group organising canal clean ups there)
- Canal and Rivers Trust
- Thames 21
- Thames Estuary Partnership
- Port of London Authority
- Islington Boat Club
- Merchant Square
- Starboard - SUPs
- Edge Canoe Club
- Tideway
- Wake Up Docklands
- EPIC SUP Club - Twickenham
- London Sports Trust
In addition to taking part we will encourage people to review their purchase of plastic packaging and consider lobbying/petitioning and not buying from companies who use unnecessary plastic packaging. We will offer advice on where they can find more information to help them cut down their use of single use plastic.
