Join in The Big Paddle Cleanup

Join in The Big Paddle Cleanup – our biggest week of action to date. Help us to protect the places we love to paddle from plastic pollution by organising your own paddle cleanup from 4 – 12th June.

We want everyone to have access to blue spaces and enjoy the many benefits of being out on the water. But our waterways are in crisis. A ‘chemical cocktail’ of sewage, agricultural waste, and single-use plastic is polluting our waterways. 

We are in a unique position as paddlers as we can collect plastic from places others are unable to access. By taking part in a paddle cleanup you’ll be:

1. Helping to minimise pollution and improve the health of our waterways
2. Helping to protect wildlife
3. Connecting with nature
4. Enjoying the wellbeing benefits of being in blue spaces

At least 2.1 million people paddle at least once a year, so imagine the positive impact we can have if we all come together. That’s why we’re inviting the whole paddling community to join us for a week of action and help us to remove 1,000 sacks of litter from our inland and coastal waters. 

You can show your support for our blue spaces by organising your own paddle cleanup. Here is everything you need to join in the action:

How to get involved

1. Find out how to organise a paddle cleanup here
2. Complete the form below to apply for a Big Paddle Cleanup kit
3. Need to hire equipment? Check out the Paddling Equipment Hire Look Up here
4. Finally, once you have completed your paddle cleanup, log it with us here. We’ll add your cleanup to our map and tell the Government about the important work you are doing
5. Help spread the word and join in the action. Download our media toolkit here. Don’t forget to use our hashtag #BigPaddleCleanup and tag @BritishCanoeing in your social media posts too so we can see your cleanups

Thank you for your interest in the Big Paddle Cleanup but all kits have been allocated. There will be opportunities in the future to get your hands on a paddle cleanup kit. You can still take part in the Big Paddle Cleanup. A pair of sturdy gloves are great to protect your hands and an old bag to pop your haul in will work – used onion sacks work really. Once done, upload them to our Paddle Cleanups Map here.