UK ports plastic pledge

The Port of London Authority (PLA) operates some sixteen ‘passive debris collectors’ (PDCs) to scoop up debris, including plastic from the river. The PDCs are placed at carefully chosen points on the river, where the current and tidal stream carry floating waste into the moored devices.

These PDCs have till recently been mainly moored in central London – where most plastic waste enters the river, mainly from land-based sources.

Now the PLA has begun trialling a modified PDC which has greater resilience to wave and vessel wash. This is the largest PDC that PLA has and will be used further east towards the Thames Estuary.

The PLA has been very closely involved in the development of the Thames Litter Strategy – working with organisations that are part of the Thames Litter Forum.

It has also led with its own campaign – Cleaner Thames , which aims to tackle the behaviour that leads to waste in the Thames.

The PLA has joined with several other high profile organisations in pledging to remove all single-use plastics from its activities.

Additionally, it also works closely with local community and environmental groups to support volunteer clear ups on the foreshore.