Preventing Plastic Pollution (PPP) is a joint project involving 18 key partners across England and France which launched in Poole in January 2020, in a bid to reduce plastic entering the Channel via rivers.
The €14m project was approved by the Interreg France (Channel) England Programme, which has committed €9.9m in funding through the European Regional Development Fund.
PPP is led by Queen Mary University of London researcher Dr Iwan Jones, who is Head of the River Communities Group based at the River Laboratory in East Stoke, Dorset. The project is looking at whole river catchments and developing a scalable and transferable mapping tool by gathering data on the amount and likely sources of plastic pollution in seven pilot catchments: Brest Harbour, Bay of Douarnenez, Bay of Veys, Poole Harbour, and the Medway, Tamar, and Great Ouse estuaries. The information gathered in these areas will support the cross-Channel partnerships to tackle some of the four million tonnes of plastic waste that globally enter the sea via rivers every year.
Using a targeted approach, experts will evaluate plastic pollution entering the catchments and identify pollution hotspots from source to sea. They will assess the cost-effectiveness and sustainability of current and innovative approaches and create a portfolio of removal methods to prevent and manage plastic accumulation.
Iwan Jones said: “Now people are aware of plastic pollution and the damage that it causes, we need to develop a cost-effective strategy to deal with the problem. We’re excited to be leading this strong cross-border partnership, working together to reduce the impact that plastic pollution has on the environment.”
The project, which will run until 2023, will involve clearing 150 km of river/coast and the removal of 200 tonnes of plastic resulting in an estimated reduction in the harm caused by plastic pollution in rivers and the Channel equivalent €38.8 million – €126 million. PPP will also focus on behavioural change to promote the long term capture and reduction in plastic waste in local communities, schools and colleges, tourism and leisure, businesses and local authorities.
Mark Lloyd, Chief Executive at The Rivers Trust, said: “Plastic not only pollutes our rivers, but it also gets washed out to sea where it contributes to the global plastic pollution crisis. By looking at the river catchment as a whole, we can start to understand the sources, hotspots and pathways related to plastic pollution and take action to address them.”
As part of the PPP project, we are offering a free prevent plastic pollution business webinar on Monday 19th April 2021 to discuss the issues surrounding reducing plastic use and waste from your business, and support you may need to tackle plastic pollution. If you are a business or organisation that produces plastic or uses plastic then this free workshop and round table discussion could be for you.
For details of the event and additional information about the project go to the PPP website https://preventingplasticpollution.com/events/preventing-plastic-pollution-business-workshop/or find us on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/preventing-plastic-pollution/