'Nationwide public effort' needed to clear plastic pollution

The warning comes from waterways charity Thames 21, which has launched a national campaign asking people to organise their own litter picks on local rivers throughout October.Around 50 volunteers collected rubbish from the banks of the River Thames on Sunday morning as the Great River Rescue got under way.Food related packaging makes up 65% of litter found in the Thames, while plastic bottles and their lids, and cotton bud sticks each account for 10%.