Overview
- Work concluded in September on a 250‑metre stretch near Hammersmith Bridge, with waste sent in skips to licensed landfill.
- Crews separated almost 200 cubic metres of plastic-containing wipes from natural sediment using a “rake and shake” technique with two eight‑tonne excavators.
- The consolidated mass measured about two tennis courts in area and up to one metre deep, with reports it had altered river flow and threatened local ecology.
- Items recovered included towels, clothing, a car timing belt and a set of false teeth, underscoring the mix of household waste in the deposit.
- Campaigners renewed calls for a ban on plastic wipes and infrastructure upgrades, as Thames Water cites 3.8 billion wipes removed from its network each year.