Overview

• The Port of London Authority is clearing roughly 180 tonnes of compacted wipes near Hammersmith using heavy excavators, with work expected to take several weeks.
• Machinery is accessing the riverbank via St Paul’s School in Barnes, and crews are loading the material into containers for off-site disposal.
• The deposit stretches about 250 metres, covered an area roughly equivalent to two tennis courts, reached up to a metre high, and altered the river’s flow.
• The wipes contain persistent plastic fibres that generate microplastics and harm wildlife, with WWF reporting plastic fibres in 70% of sampled Thames flounder.
• Utilities cite recurring nationwide costs exceeding £100 million a year to deal with toilet-related debris, while recent upgrades include the Thames Tideway Tunnel and further Thames Water investment commitments.