Social value projects at Metis: Volunteering for The Thames21 Plasticblitz 2022
At Metis, we keep sustainability at the heart of everything we do and actively engage in social value projects that help us fulfil our commitment to reducing carbon emissions, protecting the environment, and cleaning up our planet.
And there was no better way to do that than to participate in the 2022 Plasticblitz on the 20th of September! The Thames21’s Plasticblitz is a litter collecting initiative that aims to clean up the waste that fills the banks of the River Thames in London.
Learn more about the initiative and see what we got up to below.
Why do we need the Plasticblitz?
Plastic bottles, bags, and other forms of waste are incredibly damaging to sea wildlife, water quality, and the functioning of freshwater ecosystems.
If a sea animal accidentally eats a piece of plastic, it can suffer from a lifelong illness or even die due to human negligence.
Also, plastic materials can become so small as they break down in rivers and seas that they become nearly impossible to remove from the environment.
Waste filling up the banks of rivers, and in this case, the River Thames, is how so much plastic and harmful rubbish ends up in our oceans.
How The Thames21 Plasticblitz helps
The Thames & Tributaries Plasticblitz runs annually and brings many sustainability-driven groups together to clear up plastic, rubbish, and other forms of waste from the banks of the River Thames.
An essential part of this project is also collecting information on the types of waste people deposit in this location most often, so environmentalist groups can lobby local organisations and businesses about minimising their impact on the local environment.
Our contribution at Metis
We sent a group of Metis volunteers and some local Southwark council members to participate in this wonderful social value project. Even after collecting 15 big black bags of rubbish, there was still a lot of waste left.
That’s why Thames21 runs this event every year over several days to restore the River Thames to its original beauty and significantly reduce the amount of plastic ending up in water ecosystems.
The results so far from Plasticblitz
So far, Thames21’s 2022 Plasticblitz has resulted in:
- Clearing 437 large bin bags of rubbish
- Cleaning 45.2 kilometres of the River Thames
- Getting 461 people involved in the cleanup
Genuine sustainability, genuine action
At Metis, sustainability is anything but a buzzword. It’s the driving force behind our every decision, action, and engineering project.
From working with local councils to evaluate the lifetime carbon footprint of their projects to engaging in social value activities like this one, together, we can make a tangible difference for our planet and the people living on it.
Would you like to take part in the Plasticblitz?
The Thames21 Plasticblitz wouldn’t be possible without the effort of volunteer groups from all over London and beyond. If you’d like to get involved and see how you can help clean up the River Thames, visit the Thames21 Plasticblitz website today!
If you’re looking for a sustainability-focused civil and environmental engineering consultancy to partner with you on your next social value or engineering project, please get in touch with us today.