The Thames is not a tip

300 tonnes of rubbish is removed from the River Thames every year.

The Port of London Authority received support from the London Assembly today for its Cleaner Thames Campaign.

Assembly Members agreed a unanimous motion encouraging Londoners to stop using the Thames as a tip.

Richard Tracey AM, who proposed the motion said:

“I was delighted to propose this motion in support of an excellent and worthwhile campaign. The Thames is a precious and valuable resource for the whole of London and we must all do our bit to keep it clean. Hopefully, with the support of the Mayor, Assembly and the public we can do just that.”

Murad Qureshi AM, who seconded the motion said:

“The River Thames has seen a remarkable transformation in recent decades from its status as ‘biologically dead’ to its current revitalised state. But there is still a long way to go to tackle littering and reduce sewage overflow incidents.

There is no doubt that complacency is the greatest barrier to a cleaner river and that’s why I’m happy to support the PLA’s campaign to raise awareness of this vital issue.”

The full text of the Motion is:

This Assembly notes that up to 300 tonnes of rubbish is recovered from the Thames every year, with the amount of plastics, especially plastic bottles growing annually.

With this in mind the Assembly offers its wholehearted support to the Port of London Authority’s Cleaner Thames Campaign, which calls on Londoners to ‘do the right’ thing and make sure their rubbish goes in the bin, not in the River Thames.

Noting the Authority’s strategic role in promoting recycling and waste reduction, this Assembly also urges the Mayor to work with the Port of London Authority, its partners and London’s riparian Boroughs to support this campaign.