RiverCare group massively reduce litter pollution
Volunteers from East Halton RiverCare celebrated their first anniversary by clearing more waste from the shores of the Humber estuary.
East Halton RiverCare has carried out eight clean-ups over the past year, covering 1.35 square miles of the Site of Special Scientific Interest.
Collecting 127 bags of debris, the team has accumulated 867 cans, 806 plastic bottles, four-car tyres, a bathroom suite, a paddling pool, a chandelier, some giant magic cards and a gas mask.
The volunteer programme is delivered by Keep Britain Tidy, in partnership with Anglian Water, and supported by the Humber Nature Partnership, Able UK, North Lincolnshire Council and Humberside Police.
In their first clean up in September 2020 the group cleared away 320 cans and 210 plastic bottles, with their last collection bringing in 23 cans and 41 plastic bottles.
Catherine Holborn from Keep Britain Tidy said: “The impact the team have made in the area is vast. We can see the levels of waste found at the Skitter has been significantly reduced in just one year, thanks to the efforts of East Halton RiverCare.”
Jackson Sage from Humber Nature Partnership said: “The area had been viewed by some as a ‘no-go’ area in the past due to huge amounts of litter being dumped and frequent issues with anti-social behaviour.
“Over the past 12 months, it has been fantastic to see the community come together with the support of Humberside Police and Able UK to return the site to its former glory for both residents and local wildlife”.
The Humber Estuary is a European Marine Site that supports a massive number of wildfowl and waders which regularly use the mudflats and saltmarsh.
As well as maintaining the beauty of the foreshore with regular river cleans, the volunteers are helping track and monitor important local species through wildlife surveys.
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