Each year tonnes of rubbish is removed from the river and surrounding parklands, consisting mostly of bottles, plastics and illegally dumped items.

Georges Riverkeeper’s Catchment Actions Program (CAP) coordinates and utilises Corrective Services NSW teams for litter removal.

Litter has negative environmental impacts and reduces our ability to appreciate the river environment and aesthetics. 

Single use plastics such as plastic bottles and bags, polystyrene packaging and cigarette butts do not biodegrade instead they photodegrade and break up into smaller and smaller plastic pieces called microplastics.

Physically collecting and removing litter is an “end of line” process and not a good strategy to deal with litter. Georges Riverkeeper has worked on other “source” strategies which proactively reduce litter such as the NSW Government Container Deposit Scheme. 

Georges Riverkeeper has over 200 routine maintenance sites based on council and staff knowledge, however, we can’t be everywhere to remove litter. If you want to organise your own local community clean-up we can give you assistance. If you see litter happening don’t contact us, it’s better if you report it directly to your local council or the EPA.