A volunteer group dedicated to cleaning Bristol Harbour is celebrating 10 years of removing waste and uncovering unusual items from the water. Clean Up Bristol Harbour was founded in September 2016 with the goal of reducing plastic pollution in the city’s waterways. Over the past decade, the group has pulled out a range of unexpected items, from an inflatable doll and a Nintendo Switch to a message in a bottle with a note in Spanish, a kettle, tennis balls, glasses, and even single shoes. Founder Chloe Juyon, a Bristol resident, said the group often finds strange objects, adding that while some discoveries are amusing, the work highlights the serious issue of floating waste that can't be reached from the shore. "Getting volunteers onto the water was always a big part of what I wanted Clean Up Bristol Harbour to become," she said. Juyon started the group after being shocked by the amount of rubbish she saw while coxing on the River Avon during high tide. The initiative has since been taken over by All Aboard Watersports, an adventure sports centre. Between 2021 and 2023, 236 volunteers removed over 880kg (1940lbs) of waste from the harbour, with nearly 390kg (859lbs) sent for recycling. The waste typically includes everyday items like plastic packaging, bottles, cans, polystyrene, and takeaway containers. However, volunteers have also found unique items, such as Nespresso capsules, alcohol bottles, plastic cones, and even a packet of butcher's tripe mix. One notable discovery was a Marathon-branded chocolate wrapper—known as Snickers in the UK before 1990—found during a clean-up several years ago. As the group marks its 10th anniversary, Juyon reflects on how far it has come. "There were just five of us at that first clean-up in 2016," she said. "I stepped away from running the project several years ago, so seeing it reach its tenth birthday is quite amazing. For me, it really demonstrates the power of community." To commemorate the anniversary, Clean Up Bristol Harbour will host a community clean-up event on World Cleanup Day. Members of the public can join a self-guided litter pick from 10:00 to 12:00 BST, either walking around the harbourside or using their own boats. With its current funding coming to an end, All Aboard Watersports has launched a Crowdfunder to raise £5,000 to keep the project running. Charley Peak-Payne from All Aboard Watersports noted the positive impact of the clean-up efforts. "The direct effect it has had on wildlife has been a gradual but noticeable change," he said. "The water that they are swimming in is considerably cleaner—so much so that we are now running swimming events in the harbour, something that due to pollution would never have happened 10 years ago."