Litter picking on the Don
In our trawl for litter in the River Don and its banks, supporters of the Penistone Carry-a-Bag Campaign found that plastic carrier bags made up at least a sixth of the plastic waste collected. Plastic carriers from nearly all the major retailers trading in the area were found. The rest of the plastic waste was commercial packaging, plastic bottles and cups and some plastics used on farms. Cans, bottles and fragments of insulation materials were also picked up.
We were all shocked by the sheer volume of plastic we found in the river and along the banks. A lot had started to break up but fragments of plastic are just as big a problem for wildlife in rivers and the sea as whole bags. Even though the main aim of Penistone Carry-A-Bag is to reduce the amount of plastic waste being produced, we felt it was also very worthwhile to clear some of the waste that is already around us. This will reduce the effect on our local wildlife and make our area more pleasant to live in.
If you want to get involved in future litter picking, please email us and we'll let you know when we set another date.
