Be the change…today

Manchester postwoman Malgorzata Makarewicz and five of her best friends from Rochdale, Manchester and Preston, say we all need to take responsibility for the environment and ‘make a choice today’.

Not content with having already cleared eight large bin bags of rubbish, including tyres and plastic waste from parts of Naden Brook and the Rochdale canal, the self-named ‘606 Polish Swimming Squadron,’ who are all passionate environmentalists,  are now aiming to swim the Channel in 2021.

The group have chosen the challenge, despite not all of them being able to swim, to bring attention to plastic pollution. ‘I only began learning to swim two months ago,’ said Malgorzata. ‘My next step is to swim the Channel and I have to tell you, if I can do it, there are no excuses...I’m desperate to do something, anything, to bring people's attention to the need to clean up the mess we have made of the planet.’

The Royal Mail Corporate Responsibility report for 2018-19 was published in June. Included in the report are details of how we reduced our carbon dioxide (CO2e) emissions by 1%t. Since 2004-05, our emissions have reduced by 29%, exceeding our target to reduce our emissions by 20% by 2020-21. In addition, using a combination of reuse, recycling and waste-to-energy initiatives, we diverted 99% of our waste from landfill, 4% more than our target for the year. We continue our efforts to reduce overall waste volumes by working with customers, suppliers and our people.

The 606 Polish Swimming Squadron are currently fundraising to cover the costs of their swim, with additional funds being donated to their own ‘Wipe Out Ninjas’ movement to encourage everyone to clean up the environment, and the non-profit Plastic Patrol Community Interest Company.

‘Talking about the littering of lakes, rivers and oceans isn’t enough,’ said Malgorzata. ‘Every one of us has seen the reports of litter-strewn beaches and pictures of animals imprisoned in rubbish.

‘We need to do more to rid our waters of the type of plastic waste which ends up in the ocean, killing marine animals and polluting their natural surroundings. We have to start today; all of us should try to pick up any litter we see on our walks, use less plastic if possible, and do more to educate our children on how important it is to care for the Earth.

‘Unfortunately, not everyone leaves places as precious as Naden Brook in the hills above Norden, in their natural state. There was a large mass of mostly plastic waste and cans along with old tyres floating across the river. So, we decided to act upon it and collect as much river rubbish as possible.

Press play on the video below to see the 606 Polish Swimming Squadron in action:

‘We encourage everyone who cares about the environment and the cleanliness of our oceans to do something similar, wherever they are. It’s important that people understand how easy it is. You can start anywhere and everywhere – just pick up that plastic bottle you see on the side of the road or any other rubbish you find and dispose of it in the nearest bin. We have to fight for our planet because it's worth it, it's our home. We don’t clean up for others, we do it for ourselves, for our children.’

If you would like to help Malgorzata and the 606 Polish Swimming Squadron fundraise towards swimming the Channel, you can donate by visiting www.gofundme.com/swim-the-channel-for-plastic-free-planet.