Teaming up with Thames21

Coca-Cola Great Britain regularly joins forces with Thames21, London's leading waterways charity, to give our employees a chance to do something positive for the local environment and community.

A loophole in London's city regulations means that local councils are not responsible for rubbish on the Thames shoreline, so Thames21 was set up to motivate people to get together and muck in to clean up the riverside. As part of our commitment to supporting sustainable communities where we do business, Coca-Cola has been involved with the charity since 2008, helping to preserve the natural beauty of the landscape and create new habitats for wildlife at various sessions during the year.

Did you know? Previous finds by Thames21 during clean ups include everything from a Saxon spearhead to a set of false teeth!

Liz Lowe, Citizenship Manager at Coca-Cola Great Britain, feels the experience is beneficial for all: "It's just a short walk from our offices to the Thames and we think it's important that we play our part in helping to make a difference to the community where we do business. Cleaning up the river and our local environment is something we can all get enthusiastic about."

Thames21 agree that Coca-Cola staff are an asset in their fight against litter. Chris Coode, River Programmes Manager at Thames21, says: "Volunteers from companies such as Coca-Cola Great Britain play a crucial role in helping us to keep London's waterways clean. We work with over 8,000 volunteers each year to remove more than three million litres of litter from London's waterways. This is the equivalent of more than 27,000 wheelie bins full of litter."

Removing rubbish from a stretch of the Thames is only a small contribution to the well-being of the planet, but at Coca-Cola we believe every one of our initiatives will contribute to making a lasting, positive difference in the communities we serve. Working with Thames21 offers a hands-on way to protect and preserve the planet's natural resources and help local communities.