Seven pledges
Things we can all do to help make our rivers healthier
I pledge to:
ONE
Discontinue purchasing plastic bottles. ...and say no to plastic straws!
If you purchase a plastic bottled beverage, recycle it after use. Better still, find a bottle you love to use for life.
Purchase an at-home water filter to keep in your refrigerator.
Ban plastic bottles within your household and/or workplace.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/jun/29/how-to-live-without-plastic-bottles
And check this out! http://mashable.com/2017/04/11/ooho-edible-water-bottle/#v7V_bC7PqkqM
TWO
Ensure my home is connected right. Inncorrectly plumbed in washing machines/dishwashers/lavatories means the wastewater, chemicals and sewerage goes into our waterways.
http://www.thameswater.co.uk/help-and-advice/17380.htm
THREE
Check my household cleaning products are environmentally friendly. Many of our detergents contain phosphates which cause excessive plant growth making it difficult for fish and other aquatic life to breathe.
http://www.ethicalconsumer.org/buyersguides/householdconsumables/householdcleaners.aspx
FOUR
I will not pour fats, oils or greases down the sink. When poured down our sinks, lavatories or drains they stick to our pipes and cause blockages. This makes sinks and toilets back up into buildings and can cause the emergency overflows in the sewer system to ‘pop’, in which case the wastewater goes straight into the river.
FIVE
I will only flush the 4 P’s (pee, poo, paper and puke). Feminine hygiene products, cotton buds and wipes should not be flushed, even if they say that they are flushable. These items cause blockages and very often end up in our rivers.
http://www.thameswater.co.uk/help-and-advice/8201.htm
SIX
I will always put rubbish in bins or take it home, not in the river or on towpaths where it can add to the general pollution in the water, and affect wildlife.
SEVEN
I will try to remember that feeeding white bread to water birds can lead to greater algae growth that can clog waterways and removes more of the birds' natural food sources
http://www.birdtrader.co.uk/poultry-advice/how-to-feed-swans-ducks-and-geese-/494
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