The Plastics Challenge campaign ran from 14th February until 8th March to help volunteers #ActNowForCanals and clean up their local waterways during half term.
The campaign was a combined PR and social media push that utilised new research findings around barriers and motivations to litter picking. The key research finding around barriers to participation in waterway clean ups was access to litter picking equipment. To overcome this barrier, Canal & River Trust gave away free litter pickers to the first 500 people who pledged their support to the campaign.
Funded by The People’s Postcode Lottery, the #PlasticsChallenge campaign had a social media reach of over 277,515 impressions and gained support from celebrities including Maddie Moate, Eyal Booker, Zaira Khan, Helen Glover, Tony Robinson and Deborah Meaden.
By end the of the campaign over 500 bespoke litter picking kits were sent out to new volunteers who signed up to collect litter on the towpaths where they live. Each kit included branded Canal & River Trust folding litter picker, #PlasticsChallenge thank you postcard and litter picking guide.