Great Borders River Clean

Plastic pollution is a product of our modern lifestyles. The ultimate aim of the Great Borders River Clean (GBRC) is to raise awareness on a regional and national level of this insidious problem. In the last 3 years, river cleans organised by GreenTweed Eco have removed over 10,000kg of rubbish from the region's waterways. 453 volunteers cleared nearly 2 tonnes of rubbish from Borders rivers and waterways at the most recent edition.

The Great Borders River Clean has brought into sharp focus the scale of the problem that we are facing. Repeating the GBRC on a bi-annual basis, with the support of the Fallago Environment Fund, Bright Green Nature, Taste House Coffee and Tweed Forum, will have a demonstrable positive impact on the amount of plastic pollution in the natural environment.

The Great Borders River Clean is as much about the towns and villages of the Borders as it is about the rivers and burns that join them. Borders people are rightly proud of their communities. Working together to tackle a common issue can and will make a real difference. Repeated, regular cleans to clear visible and accessible rubbish will help to remove this eyesore that detracts from our beautiful towns and villages. Raising awareness of the effects of this issue may also change behaviours and reduce the amount of litter entering the natural environment.

Tom received Tweed Forum’s 2019 River Champion Award in part for his role in organising the Great Borders River Clean.

The next Great Borders River Clean will be over the weekend of 28th-30th October, 2022. Details of where to join in with an organised group river clean can be found using the colour-coded interactive map. 

You can see the ITV coverage of the clean in our blog here.