London citizen scientists descend on Thames for largest ever investigation of the impact of single-use plastic bottles
Volunteers from around London will flock to the Thames foreshore on 2 September to investigate the impact of single-use plastic bottles at 20 locations along the river. These locations are known as ‘floating litter’ hotspots, which means they attract a regular share of the one billion water bottles Londoners buy and discard each year.
Shocking numbers of plastic water bottles are blighting the Thames, and on this day budding citizen scientists – members of the public who volunteer to collect invaluable data – will count and remove them the sites along the Thames.
This big bottle count will be the biggest plastic bottle mapping project ever attempted in London and is a part of wider efforts to raise awareness of this serious environmental issue. Last year the number found was 2,500.
Thames21’s citizen science programme Thames River Watch empowers Londoners to protect and monitor the Thames, and is coordinating the event as part of the wider #OneLess campaign.
Watch this London Live video of the event:
