About Us | Planet Patrol Mission

About Planet Patrol

We’ve taken on the challenge to ensure our future is free of single-use materials and pollution.

Planet Patrol was set up in 2016 and we have already made great strides to remove litter from over 80 countries around the world. Planet Patrol exists to protect our planet and wildlife by addressing the pressing threats of litter and the single-use culture. We are a community-focused, solution-orientated, non-profit organisation: a movement of people working for a cleaner future. With your help we can continue our mission to stop pollution at the source.

Our why

16 million tonnes of plastic is predicted to enter our oceans in 2030, double the current rate. This does not include inland pollution or that by other materials like metals and glass.
It’s estimated that 5 trillion pieces of plastic are already in the ocean.
It’s estimate that plastic pollution is responsible for the deaths of over one million sea birds and 100,000 marine mammals and turtles every year.
83% of tap water is contaminated with plastic fibres.
95% of plastic packaging material value is lost to the global economy after a single first use, equivalent to £63 – 117 billion per year.

We are responsible. Plastics and other single-use materials are entirely man-made – every piece you see littering our planet is a direct result of our own actions.

Our mission

We’re working to eliminate single use materials and litter, protecting our planet and wildlife for the future.

We believe that by working together (that means you!) and collecting evidence on litter found polluting the environment we can make Governments change policies and hold brands to account to stop them producing single use items.

How we work to achieve change:

Changing behaviours

Raise public awareness and educate people about the harmful effects of waste and what we can all do about it
Build a diverse movement of #PlanetPatrollers, mobilising communities and bringing people together to take collective action through our clean up and community guardian programmes
Inspire people to consume less
Reconnect people with nature and show it’s value for mental and physical health
Provide people with a free app for data gathering to help scientific research into waste and litter

Causing industrial change

Conduct research that shines a light on the environmental impacts of products and provide insights to accelerate development of solutions
Influence and challenge brands and industry to change by providing evidence and consumer pressure
Create tools and resources to help businesses eliminate waste
Incentivise and promote transparency and accountability from production to ‘end-of-life’
Empower individuals to influence culture change in their companies around sustainability issues

Influencing Government

Gather evidence on litter to inform policy changes that incentivise a circular economy and reduce waste and hold Government to account
Advocate for policy changes and influence Government to play a more active role in better enforcing laws and regulating the industry.

How clean-ups work

We plan clean-ups all over the world to bring communities together, for people who want to do their bit and have a little adventure at the same time. The clean-ups can be inland or on our waterways. Every clean-up, where waste is seen, photographed and shared and then cleared away, helps our environment.

Request to join a clean up adventure we have listed or create your own.

Collect litter together

Photograph and log your haul on the Planet Patrol app

Spread the word through social media and tag @onplanetpatrol & #PlanetPatrol to tell us what you’ve been up to!

About the Founder

In 2016 Lizzie Carr, aka Lizzie Outside, launched Planet Patrol after seeing how flooded our waterways are with plastic pollution.

She’s a born adventurer and has dedicated herself to exploring the UK by paddle board using her journey to highlight and educate on wider environmental issues affecting our land and waterways.

In May 2016 she became the first person in history to paddle board the entire length of Britain’s waterways, solo and unsupported. In 2017 she was the first woman to paddleboard solo across the English channel. In 2018 she was the first person to paddle board the entire length of the Hudson River in America. Each of these world firsts has a purpose: to use adventure as a way to raise awareness and highlight environmental issues globally

These achievements have earned Lizzie international recognition from both media and the general public. Lizzie has written for publications including The Telegraph, The Guardian and the United Nations and appeared BBC Politics Live, The One Show, CNN and other global networks as a recognised and trusted voice on environmental issues.

In 2020 Lizzie was awarded the Prime Minister’s Point of Light and was awarded ‘Inspiration of the Year’ Award at the Stylist Magazine awards. She is also a LinkedIn Changemaker.

In August 2020, Lizzie launced her much anticipated podcast, ‘Earthshakers’, that delves into the minds of people shaking up the planet.

#PlanetPatrol began as a one woman mission on a paddle board and has grown into a global movement of like-minded people working together on land and water to protect the planet.

Meet the team

Liz Heard

Programmes Coordinator

Liz Heard, Programs Coordinator

Liz joined the Planet Patrol team in 2018 and sits at the helm of delivering all Planet Patrol’s global campaigns. She is involved in everything from research and strategy development to managing our network of reps and community guardians - and she’s always ready to roll up her sleeves and get litter picking! After studying biology at Oxford University, Liz was fortunate enough to travel to the tropics, conducting research in the African savanna and Indonesian rainforest. Despite the mosquitoes, scorpion stings, diet of rice and noodles, lack of electricity and running water, being immersed in and so close to nature was so invigorating and inspiring that it became her mission to make sure other people could connect with nature as she had and protect our green spaces - whether in cities or remote islands - for the future. After various jobs in environmental education, a marine wildlife guide, education tech and a brief stint in wine journalism, Liz volunteered with Planet Patrol throughout and joined the team full-time in 2018.

Simon Alderson

Political Advisor

Simon Alderson, Political Advisor

Simon is the Head of Public Affairs at Handelsbanken and has over 10 years' experience in corporate communications and issues-based lobbying. During his career he has successfully delivered political and wider stakeholder engagement programmes for highly regulated organisations, consumer groups and charities. Simon provides strategic counsel to Planet Patrol, and advises on stakeholder engagement and public policy.

Fiona Wilson

Legal Advisor

Fiona Wilson, Legal Advisor

Fiona is a practicing solicitor and has 10+ years of legal experience working in London. She has worked in both private practice firms as well as for key brands and companies including Google, The Guardian Newspaper and Pernod Ricard. Fiona now leads the legal and compliance function for Facebook’s marketing teams across EMEA and APAC.

Lucy McDermott

Campaigns Coordinator

Lucy McDermott, Campaigns Coordinator

Lucy joined the team in October 2020, having volunteered with us over the summer of 2020. With a Master’s in Environmental Change and International Development, and involvement in research projects in the Galapagos Islands and Costa Rica, Lucy has seen first-hand how the plastic and waste crisis is affecting so many communities worldwide, and inspired her to want to make a difference through her work. Lucy’s role as Campaigns Coordinator will include research and management of some of our current and upcoming projects, as well as policy development and of course plenty of hands-on involvement in the Planet Patrol litter picks!

Jane Crosby

Financial Advisor

Jane Crosby, Financial Advisor

Jane is a Chartered Accountant, qualifying with PricewaterhouseCoopers in 2010. Jane has over 10 years’ experience working in finance in both large and small organisations including Sage, BT and Octopus Investments. Jane now works within the Investor Relations team of Johnson Matthey, a global company with the vision of creating a cleaner and healthier world,