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Barratt launches ocean protection campaign with blue gully grates
Cristina Lago Deputy Editor
The blue gully grates have been installed at a Barratt residential development in Macclesfield (Image: Wrekin Products)
Barrat Homes and specialist civils provider Wrekin Products have launched a campaign to raise awareness of the damage that litter causes to waterways, lakes and oceans.
The campaign aims to inform people about the lasting environmental damage that small pieces of litter can have. The ripple effects of excess nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen result in damage to freshwater habitats, and can kill the fish population in some cases.
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The 2022 government’s Environmental Audit Committee found that housing developments’ drainage systems, which are clogged with “a profusion of plastic and other non-biodegradable waste”, in addition to heavy rainfall, often lead to overloaded sewerage systems that cannot cope effectively.
One of the campaign’s blue gully grates being installed (Image: Wrekin Products)
Independent environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy estimates that the UK discards 30 million tonnes of litter annually, resulting in a cleanup cost of £1bn.
Nearly half of this litter (14 million tonnes) ends up contaminating rivers and canals, according to the Canal & River Trust. This ongoing damage has led to a situation where none of the UK’s waterways are currently classified as being in ‘good health’.
Simon Turner, commercial director at Wrekin Products, said: “We hope this campaign will go some way to increasing awareness about the interconnectedness of our infrastructure and the problems and effects of water pollution on our marine wildlife.
“We’re using our position as an opportunity to create a positive environmental impact by reminding people that there is a correct place for litter to go, and it’s not down our drains.”
The January/February 2026 issue of Construction Management magazine is now available to read in digital format.
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