15. Recovery and Recycling of Aquatic Plastic

Aims: Involve people with their local waterbodies; Improve wildlife corridors; Work together

Water body: River Colne

Project description

Ensure that plastic litter collected from in or near aquatic environments is recycled and that sending to landfill or incineration is avoided. Reap-UK will act as the ‘conduit’ for environmental groups and collect take (by prior arrangement) the dirty and fouled wide ranging plastic (anything goes) that will determine it ending up in landfill or incineration – neither of which is good! There is potential for products manufactured from that plastic to come back to the environment from where it was collected – benches, shelters, owl boxes etc.
Recycling is the time consuming and expensive option – dumping in the ground or burning is the easy, cheap option but either of those options continues to destroy our environment.

There is a recycling hub/collection point in Tolpits Lane, Watford. Reap-UK is registered charity number 1201470.

The picture shows ReAP-UK & ColneCAN working in partnership on 12th September 24 with the EA on litter clearance on the Colne Brook near Wraysbury - part of the Colne Catchment. The fouled, low quality plastic, normally destined for landfill or incineration can be transformed into products such as the owl box in the photo.

Project lead: Reap-UK www.reap-uk.org

Project partners: Affinity Water, Kromachem, Affinity, Thames, TRDC, PDE Waste Technologies, Anglers National Line Recycling Scheme (ANLRS), CVFC, Angling Trust, Global Ghost Gear Initiative, West Herts Charity Trust

Contact for more information: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Project start: January 2024

Project end: None set - ongoing

Funding source: Kromachem Ltd , Affinity Water and Thames Water