Hubbub has commissioned the construction of a plastic fishing punt using plastic collected from the River Thames with support from the Mirror Group and Starbucks. The “Poly Roger” will now visit four iconic waterways in the UK: the River Irwell and Manchester Ship Canal in Greater Manchester followed by visits to Scotland, Bristol and Birmingham. Community groups in each location will have the opportunity to take part in a week of plastic fishing trips; setting sail in the Poly Roger and collecting plastic and other items of litter from the water.

The trips aim to help clear up local waterways and raise awareness of the issue of plastic pollution. Research from the University of Manchester, published in 2018, revealed that the rivers of Greater Manchester have the highest level of micro plastics recorded on any river system in the world.

At the end of the national tour one of the locations will win punt and will be able to continue plastic fishing on a permanent basis.

During the Greater Manchester launch representatives from Salford City Council, the Mersey Rivers Trust and Peel Land & Property took to the waters of The Quays as part of the inaugural voyage of the Poly Roger. Subsequent plastic fishing trips took place during the following week before the boat heads to the canals of central Scotland.