Earth Day brings together millions of people around the world with one common purpose – to safeguard our planet.
This year, Earth Day comes as we hear about worrying pollution levels in our waterways and, more recently, the alarmingly high levels of dangerous E.coli bacteria from sewage pollution along stretches of the River Thames.
The Thames is home to Crewroom and, along with its vibrant rowing community, it’s at the heart of everything we do. So, with so many rowers spending a huge amount of time on the water, we wanted to share some simple tips to help you stay safe:
- Use a water bottle with a closed cap to avoid the river water contaminating your drinking water.
- Cover any cuts, grazes or blisters with waterproof dressings to avoid infection. If you have serious blisters on your hands, you may want to consider training on land for a while.
- Wear wellies to avoid contact with the water when launching or recovering a boat.
- Take extra care to thoroughly wash your hands (or any skin that’s been in contact with the water) after your session. Keep a hand sanitiser in the boat too.
- Try to keep equipment clean and wash everything down with a bucket and sponge, especially blade handles.
- Stay alert and keep an eye out for symptoms, such as an upset stomach, a fever, or cuts that won’t heal. If you see any redness or tracking around open wounds, seek medical advice promptly.
Of course, sewage spills are just one of the worrying pollutants entering our waterways. Each year, a staggering 300 tonnes of rubbish is recovered from the River Thames. Single-use plastics account for nearly 80% of this. With the moving tide, the devastating impact on wildlife and ecosystems is both local and global, with plastic waste filtering into our seas and oceans.
At Crewroom, our mission is to unite people around the river, create an active community and maintain a healthy planet.
In the fight against plastic waste, many of our products now use recycled fabric, all of which started life as waste plastic bottles. And, because we firmly believe in sensible manufacturing we take care to make products which last, not cheap throw-away products which contribute to landfill. Even the offcuts from our production process are recycled and relaunched as new fabric. These are just some of the ways we're working to protect our planet.
To do your bit this Earth Day and find out more about protecting our rivers, visit The Rivers Trust website here…
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