Thank you for supporting Waterhaul

Thank you for ordering your Recycled Ocean Plastic Litter Picker from Waterhaul. We hope it serves you well on your next adventure. Each product sold helps us turn waste into resource and intercept abandoned ghost gear and fishing nets from the oceans.

Here's 10% off your next purchase, or to pass on to a friend:

USE CODE: NETIMPACT10

Waterhaul litter picking on the beach

Our mission: every purchase has a direct impact

You are directly enabling the expansion of our ghost gear recovery and recycling efforts and creating a demand for plastic to be removed from the ocean.

You're also supporting the delivery of PlaNET Action, our unique education program. We deliver workshops across the UK, with our portable ocean plastic recycling machines and our marine biologist educators deployed to engage and inspire the next generation to understand the marine environment, why we should protect it, and to encourage innovative thinking.

Why ghost gear and fishing nets?

Every year at least 640,000 tonnes of fishing nets are lost or discarded in the ocean. Samples of plastic waste accumulating in our oceanic gyres reveal 46% of this plastic, by weight, is attributable to fishing gear.

Fishing related debris is particularly harmful in our oceans due to its tendency to entangle marine life and damage seabed habitats, such as kelp beds and coral reefs. In a phenomenon known as "ghost fishing", the entangled carcasses of trapped marine life attract more species, resulting in further potential entanglements.

As these discarded nets are produced from plastic, they will not degrade, persisting in the ocean to catch and kill marine life indefinitely. Turning the problem on its head, all of the properties which make discarded fishing gear such a problem (its abundance, its strength and durability, and its propensity to harm) combine to make it both an excellent resource as a material and a priority target to intercept from the ocean.

How to join our network

To follow our progress and join our mission, sign up to our newsletter and follow us on Facebook and Instagram. To join the wave of supporters actively removing plastic pollution from their local environment, get your recycled ocean plastic litter picker and pocket knife here.

Caring for your litter picker

How to take care of your litter picker

Our litter pickers are designed to be rugged, durable and used in any environment. To get the most out of your new litter picker:

  • If sandy, muddy or exposed to saltwater, rinse clean with freshwater.
  • Don't lean on it, exert sideways pressure or place excessive force onto the shaft.

How to fold and store your litter picker

Our portable folding litter pickers are designed to be quick and easy to fold, but we realise it isn't obvious how to do it at first. The video below explains.

Please note only the Folding and XL Folding litter pickers are able to fold. Use your thumbs to carefully push the two sides apart, rather than pulling each side forcefully, as this puts pressure on the string. The Standard 32" units do not fold, so please don't try to fold them.

My litter picker jaw doesn't close all the way

Don't worry, your litter picker isn't broken. We've made the knot at the back adjustable, but sometimes it can slip, making the jaw open too wide to fully close when in use (we're working on a better knot). This knot can be easily tightened if it starts to loosen.

For folding units, if you tighten the knot with the jaw closed too much, you won't be able to pull the two sides apart far enough to fold the litter picker. If this happens, just re-adjust the size of the jaw opening and re-tie the knot using the same method. The video below has instructions.

My litter picker string has broken

Sometimes the shafts (particularly on the folding litter pickers) can cut through the string over time. We're working on a solution, smoothing the folding edge and developing thicker, more durable string, still made from 100% recycled PET of course. In the meantime, we can send you a replacement string to refit yourself. Please get in touch at customerservice@waterhaul.co to receive your replacement string. There's a video below on how to re-string your litter picker.

Please use your thumbs to push the two sides of the folding litter picker apart, rather than pulling from each end, to relieve pressure on the string and help prevent it from stretching and breaking.

Exchanges and returns

If you're not happy with your litter picker for whatever reason, no problem at all. Please contact customerservice@waterhaul.co with your name, order number and reason, and we'll help you with the returns process. Folding litter pickers can be returned via Royal Mail; you can fill out a free returns label here. Standard 32" litter pickers are too large for Royal Mail and have to be sent via a different courier at the customer's expense. You have 30 days to return it to us for a refund on your order.

For info on how to get your return postage covered if you paid via PayPal, see PayPal refunded returns.

Sizes

  • Recycled Ocean Plastic Standard Litter Picker: 32 inches
  • Recycled Ocean Plastic Folding Litter Picker: 26 inches
  • Recycled Ocean Plastic XL Folding Litter Picker: 32 inches
  • ReTask the Mask Standard Litter Picker: 32 inches

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