River and Canal plastics
Rivers are the main source of ocean plastic pollution. They are the arteries that carry waste from land to the ocean.
Facts about rivers
Rivers are a major source of plastic waste into the oceans. We estimate that over 1000 rivers are accountable for 80% of global annual emissions which range between 0.8 – 2.7 million metric tons per year, with small urban rivers amongst the most polluting. The remaining 20% of plastic emissions are distributed over 30,000 rivers.
Plastic pollution
Approximately 51 trillion microscopic pieces of plastic, weighing 269,000 tons are currently floating in our ocean. That is about the same as 1345 adult blue whales. And 500 times the number of stars in our galaxy.
River and canals act like conveyor belts into our ocean
A plastic bottle dropped into a river or canal can last for 450 years in the marine environment, slowly fragmenting into smaller and smaller pieces which eventually end up microscopic but never truly go away.
Help us stop it at the source
Our ranges patrol the waterways of the UK every week, picking out thousands of pieces of plastic heading for the oceans.