30 September 2019
Beccles and Norwich Green Party councillors and campaigners got together with the local community on the Rivers Waveney and Wensum on Saturday 28th September to clear litter from the river and surrounding area. This was our contribution to World Rivers Day which is celebrated across the planet each September, aiming to highlight the many values and benefits of our rivers and the importance of looking after them.
Local Green Councillors and Green Party Members in Beccles joined in a coordinated event on Saturday to highlight the problem of plastics in our river network and to play a small part in cleaning up the river. The group were kindly supported by the Big Dog Ferry to enable them to access hard to reach sections of the river.
Graham Elliott, East Suffolk Councillor for Beccles & Worlingham said,
“We were really impressed to find the river in great condition. It shows the high level of respect local residents have for this fantastic natural feature. However, any plastic waste in the river system is a problem as it will last for such a long time and eventually make its way out to the sea where it will add to an already enormous problem. We would like to thank Carl Murray from the Big Dog Ferry for providing us with our river transport and for his work every day keeping the river clear of litter.”
Green Party City Councillor Nigel Utton said:
“Rivers all over the world face a wide range of threats including from the waste, much of it plastic, which is thrown into urban waterways on a daily basis. This waste flows down into our seas and oceans and fuels the global contamination problem that’s so damaging to marine life. Only our active involvement in keeping our rivers clean will ensure their well-being for the future. Community actions such as these offer opportunities for everyone to help keep our planet clean and healthy.”
The river clean-up is part of an on-going Green Party campaign to reduce the amount of disposable plastic we throw away and find alternatives to single-use plastic items.
