Youngsters hit London's Thames in unique litter-fishing initiative

A London environmental charity is using a unique boat to take children out "fishing" for plastic in the Thames.

The electric engine boat, named Poly-Mer, is a 12-seater punt constructed entirely from 99% recycled plastic, including 8,000 plastic bottles - the first such vessel in the world.

It was made by Mark Edwards MBE, the same Richmond-based boat builder responsible for the Queen's barge, Gloriana.

The charity Hubbub has teamed up with the City Bridge Trust, the City of London's charitable funder, to run 55 free trips for children from over 25 London schools - out on the water around London Docklands.

It is using the trips to "fish" plastic and other floating litter out of the water - which can then be safely disposed of or recycled. Some of it will also go towards building more boats like Poly-Mer.

A report this year from the London Assembly's environment committee found that London consumes more plastic bottled water than anywhere else in England, 7.7 billion bottles a year - but has the country's worst recycling rate, 32%, compared with a national average of 43%.

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Plastic bottles also make up 10% of all the litter found in the Thames - but they take 450 years to break down.

"Here in London, 300 tonnes (of litter) are cleared from the river each year," said Gavin Ellis, the director and co-founder of Hubbub, the charity running the outings.

"That's just what's cleared from the river, not to mention what sinks down to the bottom, what's swept out to sea. So it's a huge issue and in terms of the wildlife within the river, 75% of the fish that feed on the bottom of the river bed have plastic in their guts."

The idea behind the trips is to show children just where the plastic they use every day often ends up.

"It's sad to see all the plastic in the river but it's also happy that there are so many people who are willing to help," 10-year-old Gabby from Canary Wharf College told Sky News, when we got exclusive access to one of Poly Mer's first plastic fishing outings.

Izzy, aged nine, said that although the trip was fun, it was also a good thing to do because pollution "is damaging our water, and to get the plastic out is just a good thing for the water".

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Brandi, 11, said she often gets upset when she sees people buying single use plastic.

"I tell them to throw them in the bin after they've used it, and try and put the plastic in the recycling bin so it can be made into different things," she said.

The chair of the City Bridge Trust, Alison Gowman, said: "This is a great way for young people to learn about the environment and to really understand how it impacts on their life - and have fun, because it's great fun out here on the boat with the children trying to catch litter."

The hope is to use the plastic "caught" in the Thames to help build a whole fleet of litter-picking boats that can be used across the capital and the country.

:: You can find out more about the Sky Ocean Rescue campaign and how to get involved at www.skyoceanrescue.com