From today, people enjoying the River Thames in Putney, Wandsworth will be reminded not to leave litter behind thanks to eye catching voting bins, posters, messages on pavements and a gallery of local people who enjoy the river.
In partnership with Wandsworth Council, Positively Putney and The Port of London Authority, Hubbub is bringing the For Fish’s Sake (#FFSLDN) campaign to Putney to help stem the flow of litter into the Thames which is harming marine life both in the river and out at sea.
It's easy to help keep the river clean and free from litter
This is the second wave of #FFSLDN, a positive, playful campaign which launched in central London last year and aims to encourage people to play their part in protecting and cherishing the Thames. Last year it reduced riverside litter in the test area around London Bridge by 32 per cent. This year a range of activities will take place along the river from Putney in the coming weeks, with a big splash planned during the Positively Putney Party which coincides with the Great River Race on September 8.
Every year 300 tonnes of rubbish are cleared from the Thames - equivalent to the weight of 43 bottlenose whales (the type found in the Thames in 2006). #FFSLDN is calling on residents, workers and visitors to south west London to help stem the flow. Here’s what you can do:
• Use the bin – not the gutter, not the river, not the pavement
• If you see some litter and you’re near a bin – pick it up
• If the bin is full, find another one or take your litter home
Cllr Steffi Sutters, Cabinet Member for Community Services and Open Spaces, Wandsworth Council said: “Putney riverside is a beautiful part of London and at this time of year it’s enjoyed by hundreds of people every day, from dog walkers to workers taking a break, from rowing clubs to residents out for a stroll. Sadly though, many people leave litter behind without thinking about the consequences, for the river and further out into our oceans. I’m delighted that #FFSLDN is coming to our part of the capital and hope that locals get behind the campaign to protect and preserve their stretch of the Thames.”
Nicola Grant, Executive Director, Positively Putney Business Improvement District said; “It is very important to local businesses that Putney looks clean and tidy. The River Thames is such an important part of Putney town centre’s character and therefore we are very happy to support this initiative to reduce litter and to protect the river.”
Gavin Ellis Co-founder of Hubbub said: “Many people don’t think of themselves as someone who drops litter because they’re not throwing it on the floor, they’re carefully placing it somewhere. When close to the Thames there is a good chance that rubbish left by these ‘tidy litterers’ will end up in the river. We’re looking forward to making a difference to litter levels in Putney and beyond over the coming weeks.”
Cllr Sutters (left) is a big supporter of the scheme
This initiative is a unique collaboration between Wandsworth Council, Hubbub, the Port of London Authority and Positively Putney. It is hoped that the campaign will have a significant impact in Putney before being adopted nationwide to reduce the amount of litter ending up in all the UK’s waterways.
Hubbub is a charity which explores innovative ways to interest mainstream consumers in important sustainability issues, through different ‘hubs’ of activity: Food; Fashion; Homes; Neighbourhoods. Hubbub’s previous campaigns have included #SquareMileChallenge, the UK’s first large scale solution to coffee cup recycling, #GiftABundle to get pre-loved baby clothes back into circulation and #PumpkinRescue to encourage more people to eat the carvings from their Halloween Pumpkins.
About litter in the Thames
• A 2015 study by the Royal Holloway University found that 70% of fish sampled from the River Thames had plastic fibres in their gut.
• 300 tonnes of rubbish is cleared annually but much of the litter is not being caught or deposited on foreshores, and it sinks to the bottom or is swept out to sea to add to the well-documented problems of waste in our oceans.
