Work has begun on the mass excavation of a 180-ton mass on an space of the Thames’ shore close to Hammersmith Bridge, in a first-of-its-kind river clean-up mission.
The hassle is being led and organised by the Port of London Authority with collaboration from Thames Water, in what appears the primary such effort to make use of mechanical means to take away a ball of congealed moist wipes (clumped along with twigs, on this case), which has shaped the island alongside a 250-metre stretch of the river close to Hammersmith Bridge (pictured, above). It’s anticipated to take as much as a month to finish.
As rivers charity Thames21 explains, London’s ‘Moist Wipe Island’ is in regards to the dimension of two tennis courts, and it has modified the course of the river with probably damaging penalties for aquatic wildlife and ecology.1
The fabric finds its means into the river on account of sewer overflows, which discharge sewage into the river during times of heavy rainfall (though efforts are underway to alleviate this).
Thus far, efforts to scrub moist wipes from the Thames have relied on individuals eradicating them by hand, and initiatives reminiscent of these organised by Thames 21.
Impressed by such efforts, the PLA determined to prepare this larger-scale removing motion. The UK’s largest port, which is chargeable for defending and enhancing the tidal Thames, commissioned an unbiased ecological research of the location. This was used to develop an environmentally accountable plan to make use of a mechanical excavator to take away the moist wipes.
Thames21 stated its volunteers had been monitoring the island since 2017.
Prior to now eight years, volunteers have gathered over 140,000 moist wipes from the river. Thames Water removes 3.8 billion wipes from its community yearly, at an annual price of £18m.2
“Their information and analysis have performed a significant function in elevating consciousness of how moist wipes containing plastic can degrade the surroundings and hurt wildlife. Their information has additionally influenced Authorities coverage. It comes after the Authorities lately printed draft laws to ban moist wipes containing plastic.”
St Paul’s College, Barnes is supporting the clean-up and giving entry to its grounds to permit the eight-tonne excavator to take away the ‘island’ – which is 1m excessive in locations – from the foreshore when the tide is low. The moist wipes and different pollution will then be taken away in skips and responsibly disposed of.
Thames Water lately introduced an additional £1.8billion funding to enhance river well being throughout London, and final yr related its £4.6 billion Thames Tideway Tunnel to assist the discount of sewage discharges into the tidal Thames by 95%.
Port of London Authority’s Director of Sustainability, Grace Rawnsley, stated: “For too lengthy, ‘Moist Wipe Island’ in Hammersmith has been a supply of environmental hurt and a humiliation to the capital. Impressed by the work of volunteers at Thames 21, we determined to take a lead in co-ordinating motion to take away this ugly and dangerous mess.
“That is the primary time anybody has sought to execute a mass, mechanical removing of moist wipes on this means.
“We would like a cleaner, more healthy tidal Thames and can proceed to work with all events to safe that. And we’ll proceed to convey innovation and funding to assist the world’s biggest river thrive.”
Thames Water’s Head of Tideway Integration Group, John Sullivan, stated it was “a visual reminder of the injury brought on by placing the fallacious issues down the bathroom as a result of flushing one thing non-biodegradable like a moist wipe doesn’t simply make it disappear.”
“Blockages brought on by wipes are a number one explanation for air pollution and we take away an estimated 3.8 billion wipes from our community every year.”
Chris Coode, CEO at Thames21, stated: “This very important transfer is a vital step in the direction of defending the well being of the River Thames and its wildlife, as it should scale back the introduction of microplastics into the surroundings from this website.
“Thames21 and its devoted volunteers have been constructing proof for eight years. We need to give our volunteers an enormous shout-out for his or her persistence. This has been a large piece of labor!
“Thames21 has been pushing for a ban on plastics in moist wipes. Nonetheless, we wish to see extra systemic change to sort out the problem of plastics getting into the surroundings through moist wipes and different sanitary waste.”
Notes
[1] First mass moist wipe removing from a UK river launched to scrub London’s ‘Moist Wipe Island’, printed by Thames21 on 11 August. https://www.thames21.org.uk/2025/08/first-mass-wet-wipe-removal-from-a-uk-river-launched-to-clean-londons-wet-wipe-island/
[2] “The 180-ton ‘moist wipe island’ that’s clogging up the Thames”, Every day Telegraph, 12 August.
