Not-For-Profit Scheme Launches New Initiative to Rid the River Thames of Plastic Waste

The official launch of In The Drink, a not-for-profit initiative to rid the River Thames of plastic waste, took place at the Good Hotel last Thursday, 04 April. The gathering of notable In The Drink supporters, including environmentalists, MPs, councillors and riverside pub owners, celebrated the work achieved by the project.

In The Drink was founded by a group of organisations and individuals who care about protecting marine environments; including Active360, Thames21, Alison Baker and Anti-Plastic People. Together, with valuable support from DEFRA (WRAP’s Litter Innovation Fund), the River Thames Society and Bill Bailey who continues to film videos to promote the initiative, they are encouraging and supporting Thames riverside bars, boat cruises and events in phasing out single-use plastic cups in favour of practical, reusable alternatives.

Xavier Baker, Co-Founder of Mermaid Gin said: “Being from the Isle of Wight, we are very concerned about the marine environment, so every part of Mermaid’s packaging is plastic-free, recyclable and environmentally-friendly. We’re committed to being a leader in sustainability in spirits – supporting In The Drink made perfect sense and we’re delighted to be at its launch.”

“We want to work with riverside venues to establish mutually beneficial systems to phase in sustainable alternatives,” said Alison Baker, co-founder of In The Drink. “We’re hoping London pubs will help us and work together to look after the river we all love.”

In The Drink made the news last week, having been instrumental in Positively Putney, investing in 14,000 reusable plastic cups at this year’s annual Boat Race Day, into the summer and beyond. Nicola Grant, Executive Director, hopes it will prevent 50,000 single-use plastic cups ending up in the river or heading for landfill, in just one day.

The official launch was also sponsored Cotchel, Small Beer Brew Co and Young’s, who are phasing out SUP cups.

“Good Hotel London is delighted to be the venue of In The Drink’s official launch event, being a social business and a floating hotel right on the water at Royal Victoria Dock, we couldn’t be more supportive of their efforts to help the industry pursue more sustainable and conscious options. Cheers to that!” – Marten Dresen, CEO and Founder, Good Hotel Group.

In The Drink members get practical information on cost-efficient alternatives to single-use products and suggestions on suppliers. They also receive In The Drink membership material to display and promotion via their website and social media channels.

inthedrink.org.uk | @inthedrinkuk | info@inthedrink.org.uk