Heart of gold as Charline spearheads clean ocean campaign

PETALING JAYA: Former Team Scotland cyclist and Commonwealth Games silver medallist Charline Jones (pic) has led more than 50 volunteers in the last plastic pick-up of the King’s Baton Relay Clean Oceans Plastic Campaign, which hit the milestone of removing one million pieces of plastic from waterways across the globe.

Jones was joined by volunteers on paddle boards and kayaks on Glasgow’s most iconic waterway, the River Clyde, to collect plastic litter just before the city welcomes the world for the Commonwealth Games.

Commonwealth Sport and the Royal Commonwealth Society’s Clean Oceans Plastics Campaign has now successfully removed one million pieces of plastic from Commonwealth waterways in a year-long initiative, coinciding with the King’s Baton Relay.

The King’s Baton Relay commenced in March with Sir Chris Hoy as the first baton bearer and then journeyed across the length and breadth of the Commonwealth, from Saint Lucia to Scotland.

The Commonwealth accounts for one-third of the world’s ocean waters, and almost half of Commonwealth countries are small island developing states that disproportionately suffer from the impact of plastic pollution.

Jones, who won silver at Glasgow 2014, said: “The Commonwealth Clean Oceans Plastics campaign is a fantastic way to bring the Commonwealth together for a common cause and show the power of people working together to achieve this milestone (on Tuesday).

“It gives the King’s Baton Relay extra meaning and seeing the enthusiasm of the volunteers today really shows the appetite in and around Glasgow to look after our waterways for future generations.”

Environmental charity Keep Scotland Beautiful led the final event on the River Clyde as part of a series of clean-ups, carried out in partnership with Official Partners of Team Scotland Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP).

The Clean Oceans Plastics Campaign also supports Commonwealth Sport’s wider ambition to leave a positive environmental legacy for Glasgow, Scotland and future host cities and nations.

It combines education and local action to encourage people to reduce their plastic waste, highlight alternatives, and reduce pollution across the Commonwealth.