Bristol Harbour Clean-Up Group Marks a Decade of Uncovering Unusual Items

A volunteer group dedicated to cleaning Bristol Harbour is celebrating its 10th anniversary, reflecting on a decade of removing an eclectic range of items from the waterways. Launched in September 2016, Clean Up Bristol Harbour aims to tackle plastic pollution in and around the city's waters.

Over the past ten years, volunteers have retrieved numerous unusual objects, including an inflatable doll, a Nintendo Switch, a kettle, tennis balls, glasses, single shoes, and a message in a bottle containing a note in Spanish. "You never quite know what you're going to pull out of Bristol Harbour," said Chloe Juyon, founder of the group and a Bristol resident.

Juyon initiated the project after observing the significant amount of rubbish floating in the River Avon. "So much floating rubbish simply can't be reached from the harbourside," she stated. "Getting volunteers onto the water was always a big part of what I wanted Clean Up Bristol Harbour to become."

Between 2021 and 2023, approximately 236 volunteers removed over 880 kilograms (1940 pounds) of waste from Bristol Harbour. Nearly 390 kilograms (859 pounds) of this waste was sent for recycling. Common items removed include plastic packaging, bottles, cans, polystyrene, and takeaway containers.

More peculiar finds have included Nespresso capsules, alcohol bottles, plastic cones, clothing, and even a packet of butcher's tripe mix. One notable discovery was a Marathon-branded chocolate wrapper, a name used for Snickers bars in the UK until 1990.

"There were just five of us at that first clean-up in 2016," Juyon recalled. "I stepped away from running the project several years ago, so seeing it reach its tenth birthday is quite amazing. For me, it really demonstrates the power of community."

Clean Up Bristol Harbour has since been taken over by the adventure sports centre All Aboard Watersports. To commemorate the 10th anniversary, the group plans to host a community clean-up event in conjunction with World Cleanup Day. The public can participate in a self-guided litter pick from 10:00 to 12:00 BST, either on foot or by using their own watercraft.

However, the future of the project faces uncertainty as its current funding is ending. All Aboard Watersports has launched a Crowdfunder campaign with an initial target of £5,000 to support its continuation. Charley Peak-Payne, from All Aboard Watersports, highlighted the positive impact of a cleaner harbour on local activities. "The direct effect it has had on wildlife has been a gradual but noticeable change," he said. "The water that they are swimming in is considerably cleaner - to the point that we are now running swimming events in the harbour too, something that due to pollution would never have happened 10 years ago."