At Lanes Group, we employ more than 2,200 staff members across the UK, and this week all of them are mobilising to do their bit for Unblocktober, our groundbreaking environmental protection campaign, which is making a triumphant return for October 2020!

This month-long campaign is designed to get people across the country to get educated about how to prevent blockage-causing substances and materials being put down the nation’s drains. Having made a huge splash in its debut year in 2019, the initiative is back for round 2 - and Lanes’ committed workers will once again be acting as national ambassadors for this important campaign.

The Unblocktober mission

The overall goal of Unblocktober is simple - to challenge individuals and businesses to avoid putting fats, oils and grease (FOG), food scraps, plastic waste, wet wipes and a range of other banned items down their drains for 31 consecutive days in October, in order to help avoid damaging the nation’s drains, sewer network and waterways.

It’s a scientific fact that everyday waste disposal habits contribute massively to river and waterway pollution at the moment, with improper disposal creating a risk of drain blockages, fatbergs and plastic contamination of our rivers and seas. By encouraging people to change these habits for a month, Unblocktober hopes to have a long-lasting positive impact on the environment.

Even though it sounds simple, the reality is that this is a tough problem to solve - and the extraordinary events of 2020 will not have made this any easier. With so many people spending time at home in lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, pressures on the sewage system have increased considerably, especially at a time when recycling may have fallen down the list of public priorities, and households are using more non-biodegradable single-use cleaning supplies than ever before.

This is why Unblocktober’s return comes at a perfect time. Last year, the Unblocktober challenge was taken up by more than 4,500 participants, with organisations such as the Environment Agency, Keep Britain Tidy, the Marine Conservation Society and Surfers Against Sewage all pledging support. We believe the 2020 campaign can make an even bigger impact, putting plastic pollution back on the public’s radar in a major way.

How will staff be getting involved?

Last year, our valued team of Lanes staff members played a pivotal role in helping to spread the Unblocktober message, and we’re expecting them to step up just as impressively this time around!

Our Lanes engineers will once again be making themselves available to answer any questions about Unblocktober and provide information on the reasons why the campaign is so important. Here are our team at work, showing their Unblocktober spirit last year:

Indeed, 2019 was such a success that it even earned some of our workers a bit of time in the limelight. Here’s area business development manager Anthony Gray appearing on BBC Look North, flying the flag for Unblocktober as part of a segment they ran on the campaign last year:

Our whole team at Lanes, from our frontline engineers through to our supportive office-based staff, are all big believers in the message and mission of Unblocktober, and will be pushing the campaign just as hard in 2020 to help save our sewers and seas, and turn the tide on plastic pollution for good.

How can you get involved in Unblocktober?

Unblocktober is only just beginning, so if you feel inspired to get involved and do your part, there is still time to do so! All you need to do is visit the official Unblocktober website and sign up to participate, either as an individual or a business. We’ll then send you a resource pack that includes tips, advice, checklists, stories from other participants and much more!

To fulfil your Unblocktober pledge, simply avoid putting any of the following down your sink or toilet for the entire month of October:

• Cooking oil - pre or post-cooking
• Margarine
• Butter
• Lard
• Cooking sauces and condiments
• Food - even crumbs
• Wet wipes
• Tampons, applicators and wrappers
• Sanitary/menstrual pads and towels
• Nappies
• Condoms
• Cotton buds
• Contact lenses
• Bandages and plasters
• Razor blades
• Dental floss

You can also follow the campaign on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram to get the latest advice, and to see what our staff are doing to help promote Unblocktober throughout the month.

Finally, if you’re interested in joining the Lanes team and becoming an ambassador for next year’s Unblocktober campaign, check out our full listing of available vacancies today.