A community-led initiative has reached its tenth anniversary after spending a decade removing plastic pollution and recovering unexpected items from Bristol Harbour. Clean Up Bristol Harbour, established in September 2016, has evolved from a small group of five volunteers into an organised operation that has pulled everything from inflatable dolls and gaming consoles to decades-old chocolate wrappers from the water.
Founder Chloe Juyon launched the project after noticing the volume of rubbish accumulating around her boat while coxing on the River Avon at high tide.
You never quite know what you're going to pull out of Bristol Harbour,she reflected on the milestone. The group's work has since been taken on by All Aboard Watersports, an adventure sports centre based at Baltic Wharf.
Between 2021 and 2023, recorded monitoring showed that 236 volunteers removed more than 880kg of waste from Bristol Harbour, with almost 390kg sent for recycling. The items recovered span a wide spectrum: everyday waste such as plastic packaging, bottles, cans and polystyrene sits alongside more peculiar discoveries including a message in a bottle with a Spanish note, a kettle, tennis balls, glasses, single shoes, Nespresso capsules, plastic cones, clothing still in original packaging, and even a packet of butcher's tripe mix.
What makes the finds so unusual?
One particularly striking discovery was a Marathon-branded chocolate wrapper, the UK name for Snickers until 1990, recovered during a clean-up several years ago.
Some of the things we've found over the years have definitely made us laugh but there is a serious point behind it,Juyon explained.
So much floating rubbish simply can't be reached from the harbourside. Getting volunteers onto the water was always a big part of what I wanted Clean Up Bristol Harbour to become.
How has the harbour changed?
The environmental improvements have been tangible for those who use the waterway. Charley Peak-Payne from All Aboard Watersports noted that the cleaner conditions have enabled new activities previously impossible.
The direct effect it has had on wildlife has been a gradual but noticeable change,he said.
The water that they are swimming in is considerably cleaner - to the point that we are now running swimming events in the harbour too, something that due to pollution would never have happened 10 years ago.
Similar volunteer-led efforts are making waves across the UK. Volunteers from Cardiff Rivers Group collected 59 bags of litter including children's car seats and rubber ducks from Cardiff Bay, while the Durham City Riverscape Community has collected over 50 bags of rubbish during its latest River Wear cleanup, approaching 1,000 bags since formation. These parallel initiatives demonstrate the widespread commitment to restoring water quality across British waterways.
What is the current funding situation?
The project's future remains uncertain as existing funding approaches its end. All Aboard Watersports has launched a Crowdfunder campaign aiming to raise an initial £5,000 to sustain the initiative. According to Juyon's professional profile, she has secured almost £67,000 through grants, trusts, foundations, corporate sponsorship and individual donations in her role as Fundraising Officer at All Aboard Watersports, demonstrating the financial commitment required to maintain such operations.
Reflecting on the decade milestone, Juyon said:
There were just five of us at that first clean-up in 2016. I stepped away from running the project several years ago, so seeing it reach its tenth birthday is quite amazing. For me, it really demonstrates the power of community.
What happens next?
To mark the 10th anniversary, the group held a community clean-up event aligned with World Cleanup Day, with members of the public invited to participate in self-guided litter picks. The next Clean Up Bristol Harbour event is scheduled for 19 October 2026 at 10am, with booking now required through All Aboard Watersports to ensure sufficient life jackets and boats are available for participants.
Regular clean-ups continue throughout the year at the harbour. All Aboard Watersports, which now hosts the initiative, operates as a charity aiming to reach 50% participation from people with disabilities, long-term health conditions, social isolation, socio-economic disadvantage or other access barriers, broadening the project's community impact beyond its original scope.
Key Facts
- Clean Up Bristol Harbour was founded in September 2016 and has now operated for a decade
- Between 2021 and 2023, 236 volunteers removed over 880kg of waste, with almost 390kg recycled
- Unusual finds include a Nintendo Switch, inflatable doll, message in a bottle, and a Marathon chocolate wrapper from before 1990
- All Aboard Watersports now manages the project and is seeking £5,000 through crowdfunding to continue operations
- Swimming events now run in the harbour, made possible by improved water quality from the clean-up efforts
