Trolleys, scooters and e-bikes pulled out of river

A litter-picking campaigner said he pulled supermarket trolleys, electric scooters and bikes out of a river in just a few hours.

Over Christmas, Mark Rowlands and his son Declan cleared the objects which had been dumped in Pigeonhouse Stream in Hartcliffe in south Bristol.

Rowlands, from Easter Compton, has made headlines this year for starting the One Million Bags challenge, which has led to people picking up litter as far away as Sweden and the United States.

He now wants his efforts to become a springboard to organise a litter-picking weekend in the south Bristol neighbourhood in the spring.

In early 2025, Rowlands launched the One Million Bags challenge, which has meant more than 130,000 bags of rubbish being picked up across the world.

Either people can join the One Million Bags club on fitness app Strava, which currently has about 300 people, or use the hashtag #onemillionbags on social media.

The success of the campaign has led to letters of support from David Attenborough, Buckingham Palace and even a conversation with a special adviser for Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.

Rowlands said he started monthly litter picks at the stream in Valley Walk in Hartcliffe after being shocked at the "incredible amount of litter" being dumped there.

"If my son and I can collect that much in around three hours – not just litter but super market trolleys and electric scooters and bikes – imagine what could be collected across Hartcliffe if there was an event in spring where 100 people joined," he said.

"People have zoned out of the traditional messages of don't drop your litter," he added.

"The whole thing about One Million Bags is about people giving back to their communities whilst they're out and about."

Keen to organise a litter picking weekend in Hartcliffe in March, Rowlands is urging residents and groups to get on board.

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