A STEEL boom is set to be built on the River Clyde – with the device designed to catch litter as it flows out towards the sea.
A new scheme will see the large boom suspended across part of the river to catch plastic and litter pollution in an effort to limit Glasgow’s environmental impact.
Everything netted by the device will be extracted and analysed by Glasgow City Council, allowing them to identify the most common types of litter that make their way into the city’s waters.
The announcement comes as the United Nations’ World Oceans Day begins.
In partnership with Marine Scotland, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and Peel Ports, the one-year project will use steel-mesh panels which will trap potentially harmful rubbish but leave plenty of space for fish and wildlife to travel freely in the water.
The project aims to reduce litter in the river and also stop it being swept downstream to places like the Arrochar Litter Sink – an area lumped with vast amounts of waste, delivered by winds and tides.
According to Marine Scotland, litter on the Arrochar foreshore comes equally from the Irish Sea and the Clyde River.
Seaweed harvested there was previously used as garden fertiliser by local residents, but it is now so contaminated that it is no longer possible.
Pupils from Sunnyside School of Conservation have previously travelled to Arrochar to take part in an annual litter pick.
Olivia Paterson, aged 12 of Sunnyside School, said: “Sunnyside Ocean Defenders are beaming about Glasgow booming.
“As regular cleaners of beaches and our city’s streets, we know that the litter dropped here in Glasgow can make it to the coast.
“We’re delighted Glasgow City Council is putting a boom in to collect litter floating to the sea.”
Councillor Angus Millar, Glasgow’s climate convener, said: “Marine litter damages the environment and can harm wildlife. Removing it using passive technology like a boom is an environmentally friendly way to tackle the problem.
“The project will not only benefit Glasgow, local wildlife and migrating fish, it will also help reduce the levels of rubbish reaching destinations downstream – including the Arrochar foreshore.
“If the boom is successful, it will become a permanent feature on the Clyde.
“Hopefully this project will spark a ripple effect and inspire other towns and villages along the Clyde to do something similar.”
The exact location of the boom is yet to be announced.
