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Around 180 tons of wet wipes will be removed in the coming weeks.
X / LondonPortAuth
A bizarre "island" of millions of discarded wet wipes has formed in the middle of the Thames in London. A major operation is now underway to remove the mass, which weighs tons, from the river.
A bizarre but dangerous symbol of London's waste problems is currently making international headlines: A so-called "wet wipe island" has formed in the River Thames near Hammersmith Bridge - an island that is not made of soil, but of millions of carelessly flushed wet wipes.
As the BBC reports, the formation has already reached the size of two tennis courts and piled up to a meter high in places. According to the BBC, the mass has even changed the course of the river and is threatening the flora and fauna with microplastics.
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An extensive clean-up operation has been underway since mid-August. An eight-ton excavator is being used to remove the cloths from the riverbed piece by piece. A total of around 180 tons of material is to be removed - equivalent to the weight of 15 London double-decker buses. The campaign is being supported by the environmental organization Thames 21, which has been documenting the "island" since 2017.
The causes lie not only in the behavior of the population, who mistakenly throw wet wipes into the toilet. The outdated sewage system also plays a role: rainwater and wastewater flow through the same sewers in many places. During heavy rainfall, the sewage system is overloaded - and the wipes end up unfiltered in the Thames.
Environmentalists warn of the consequences: Plastic fibers from the cloths do not decompose, but enter the ecological cycle as microplastics. "People must stop throwing wet wipes down the toilet - and manufacturers must finally offer environmentally friendly solutions," said activist Felicity Rhodes according to Tagesschau.
The British government announced a law in April 2024 to ban wet wipes containing plastic. But implementation is stalling. Activists are therefore calling for more speed - both in the expansion of the sewage system and in the introduction of plastic-free products.
