Environmental initiative launched by leading housebuilder and civils specialistTo draw attention to the damage litter causes to the UK’s waterways, lakes, oceans and ecosystems, we have partnered with leading housing provider Barratt Homes on an initiative - ‘The Sea Starts Here’ - to educate the public. The message, which is embossed on the Wrekin gully grates in Barratt’s Ceres Rise development, aims to raise awareness of how small pieces of litter snowball into lasting environmental effects. To further grab attention, Ceres Rise gully grates have been painted a stark bright blue. Keep Britain Tidy estimates 30 million tonnes of litter is dropped in the UK every year costing us £1 billion annually in cleanup. Almost half of this (14m) ends up polluting our rivers and canals in figures from the Canal & River Trust. Over time, the damage has resulted in a situation whereby not one of our waterways are now classed as being in ‘good health’. Simon Turner, commercial director at Wrekin Products said: “We hope this campaign will go some way to increasing awareness about the interconnectedness of our infrastructure and the problems and effects of water pollution on our marine wildlife. 
Simon continued, "As one of the most popular suppliers of gully grates in the UK, we felt we had an opportunity to create a positive environmental impact by reminding people that there is a correct place for litter to go, and it’s not down our drains. "We’re lucky enough to live in one of the most beautiful natural landscapes on the planet and so it’s a shame to see it needlessly harmed by pollution and rubbish. More so when we see the ripple effects of excess nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen seeping into and harming our freshwater habitats, and in some cases being enough to kill the fish population. "Ceres Rise is just the beginning for this campaign, and we’ll be looking to spread this important message even further, throughout this year and beyond. The main culprit of river pollution in the UK is smoking-related litter; however, confectionery packets, drinks bottles and cans, fast food, wet wipes, and more recently disposable vapes all contribute to a harmful chemical cocktail." The government’s Environmental Audit Committee (2022) found that housing developments’ drainage systems which are clogged with ‘a profusion of plastic and other non-biodegradable waste’, in addition to heavy rainfall, often leads to an overloaded sewerage system unable to cope effectively. Alaric Ross-Wagenknecht, project engineer at Barratt and David Wilson Homes Anglia, said: “The idea came to me when playing with LEGO with my young children and thinking about my job as a civil engineer working in residential housebuilding. “I wanted to educate children and adults in a fun and informative way about the importance of pollution control and the role of drainage infrastructure and the water cycle. “To permanently imprint the message ‘The Sea Starts Here’ on a gully grating means the message will be here for years to come, throughout the gully’s whole life cycle. That will get people thinking twice about gullies and their role.” Products including The Sea Starts Here message
Promoting responsibility with Britain's waterwaysThe Sea Starts HereWe're promoting awareness of a simple but important issue on our most popular Tristar D400 gully gratings. Did you know that waste disposed of down gullies, whether at a roadside or pedestrianised area, can end up in the watercourse. This includes rivers, brooks, becks, ditches, leats and culverts. Ultimately, it has the potential to reach the sea, meaning the sea often really does start here. In collaboration with a long-standing house building client, we've taken the notable step to include "The Sea Starts Here" as a message on our highest selling Tristar gully gratings. The message serves as a poignant reminder that our actions on land reverberate to our oceans. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
