UK River Conservation Organization Clears Over 400 Litter Items from Kennet River, Disposable E-cigarettes Main Culprit
In a recent report by the British media outlet Wiltshire Times, it has been revealed that the UK river conservation organization “ARK (Avon River Kennet)” has successfully removed 424 pieces of rubbish from the Kennet River. Shockingly, the most commonly found litter item was disposable e-cigarettes.
During a single morning, the dedicated volunteers managed to clear 20 e-cigarettes from a small section of the river in Marlborough. Anna Forbes, the project’s senior executive, expressed her concerns about the increasing prevalence of discarded e-cigarettes on the riverbed, especially in public areas. She emphasized that this phenomenon is directly contributing to the plastic pollution crisis in our rivers. Additionally, disposable e-cigarettes contain harmful heavy metals and toxic chemicals.
The Kennet River is one of only 260 chalk rivers worldwide and is home to several endangered species, including the European eel. These rivers are usually designated as Special Scientific Interest Areas (SSIA). However, volunteers are growing increasingly worried about the potential threats posed by sewage and plastic pollution to the river’s delicate ecosystem.
Disposable e-cigarette usage in the UK has skyrocketed from 1.3 million to nearly 5 million per week nationwide, with a particularly alarming increase among children and young people. One factor contributing to this surge is the lack of awareness about e-cigarette recycling. Unfortunately, due to their complex components and the need for manual disassembly, recycling disposable e-cigarettes remains an extremely challenging task.
To address this growing concern, the Kennet River initiative is advocating for a ban on disposable e-cigarettes. Their primary goal is to safeguard the health of young people and preserve the health of our rivers. Anna added that the plastic casings of e-cigarettes will pollute our rivers for many years, eventually breaking down into harmful microplastics that threaten water quality and aquatic flora and fauna. The government’s consultation on the ban of disposable e-cigarettes is scheduled to conclude on Wednesday, December 6th, and ARK urges local residents to voice their opinions in order to protect their rivers.
It is evident that action needs to be taken urgently to combat the rising plastic pollution crisis in our rivers. The alarming rate at which disposable e-cigarettes are being discarded and their detrimental impact on the environment should serve as a wake-up call for all of us. By supporting initiatives like the Kennet River campaign, we can collectively work towards a cleaner and healthier future for our rivers and the diverse ecosystems they support.
