AN annual clean-up operation along the riverside in York collected more than double the amount of rubbish than in 2023.
A number of city businesses and organisations joined York Dungeon staff going downstream on the paths and riverside walks from Ouse Bridge to the Millennium Bridge then back upstream on the other side of the River Ouse for 90 minutes on Friday, June 7.
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Mark Mattinson, general manager of the York Dungeon, said: “The turnout was incredible for our third ‘Riverside Clean’.
“The combined efforts of everyone saw us collect 51.74kg of rubbish including plastic, glass, fabric and metal that now won’t make its way into the River Ouse, and consequently into our seas and oceans.
“That’s more than double the 22.3kg we collected in 2023.”
Organisers confirmed that the pick had the same resources at its disposal as the previous year and only one or two more volunteers.
York Dungeon staff were joined by members of the York BID street cleaning team, City Cruises, Little Vikings, York Mumbler, Biodiversity UK, Visit York, Merlin’s Magic Wand and Beyond the Business, along with the Labour Party candidate for the York Central constituency, Rachael Maskell – who has held the seat since 2015.
The event was held in support of the global conservation charity Sea Life Trust.
Emily Pickard from York Mumbler said: “There was a great sense of camaraderie as well as feeling great all day about doing something good for the planet.
“Getting out walking and removing so much litter from the riverside means it looks so much cleaner for everyone to enjoy too."
Mark Mattinson said: “We will continue to make this initiative bigger every year, and along with asking for volunteers to join us in 2025, we will now be setting up and riverside clean every three months for local businesses to join in with.”
The next litter pick is scheduled to coincide with Sea Life Trust’s annual Global Beach Clean for World Oceans Day on September 18.
More information about Sea Life Trust is available at https://www.sealifetrust.org/en/
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