It is estimated that almost 400 million tonnes of plastic are produced across the globe each year, of which 8 million tonnes finds its way into our oceans, and only 10% of it is captured and recycled.
This results in the destruction of delicate marine ecosystems and life below water. Our actions inland can have a substantial impact on our oceans- whether it’s littering, microplastics or poorly managed bins and landfill sites. Waste from our inland cities can be carried to the ocean every single day.
Our sustainability commitments go beyond life on land to include life in the water. This is especially important to us as the River Thames is so intrinsically linked to our history. The lifeline of London, the Thames connects the city to the oceans, and the millions of plastic pieces that find their way into our city waterways each year end up harming our oceans and destroying delicate marine ecosystems.
Plastic pollution can enter our docks and harm key species as highlighted in our Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP):
– Waterfowl (e.g. geese, ducks, swans)
– Grey seal
– Fish (sea bass, flounder)
Sea Bins
We’re extremely proud of the clean waterways on our Estate, and we will always strive to do more, which is why we installed a Seabin in our dock in 2019 to collect any stray plastic that makes its way into our waterways.
220 +
kilograms of waste has been collected
by the Sea Bin to date
Biodiversity Action Plan
Plastic pollution can be harmful to the many species that live in our rivers, oceans and waterways. We have developed a Biodiversity Action Plan in order to protect the species that call Canary Wharf home and foster real biodiversity net gain on our developments.
Reports
We want to share the progress we’ve already with Breaking The Plastic Habit, which is why we’ve created a series of reports detailing our successes and the lessons we’ve learned.