The Story of Unblocktober
Unblocktober is the world’s first national awareness month aimed at improving the health of our drains, sewers, watercourses and seas. Since Lanes Group created the campaign in 2019, it’s gone from strength to strength each year. By driving public action, Unblocktober has made a real difference in tackling drain and sewer misuse, and protecting our precious natural environment.
But how did the campaign get started? Read on to learn the full story of Unblocktober…
Why was Unblocktober created?
Unblocktober was dreamed up by Lanes Group, the largest privately owned specialist drainage and wastewater contractor in the UK. Every day, Lanes’ team of drainage engineers is responsible for cleaning, maintaining and repairing the nation’s sewers, and making sure that our precious drainage infrastructure is fit for purpose.
However, over the course of these years of work, it was becoming increasingly clear that pollution and misuse were causing unsustainable damage to the pipes and drains on which we all rely. Millions of us have been putting dangerous liquids and items into our drainage systems and sewers, often without even knowing. This has led to foul waste flooding, plastic pollution of the rivers and seas, and the formation of massive fatbergs that pose a huge risk to our ageing sewer network.
Analysis carried out for Unblocktober shows that across England and Wales, water companies have to clean up nearly 280,000 sewer and drain blockages every year. This severely damages the drain infrastructure, and results in annual unblocking and repair costs of more than £100 million.
Lanes Group realised that this wasn’t a problem that could be solved by one company alone. A unifying campaign was needed to empower water companies, the business community and the great British public to join forces and tackle this pressing problem - together.
And so, Unblocktober was born!
The Unblocktober timeline
The first ever Unblocktober was held in October 2019 as a challenge to individuals and businesses alike. It asked volunteers to pledge not to pour or flush any potentially harmful or damaging items and substances down their drains for the whole month of October. Lanes conceived the campaign to make participants aware of how even small changes in everyday habits can make a big difference in protecting our sewers and seas. This simple start was intended to lay the foundation for a more lasting change in habits.
Take a look at our Unblocktober timeline to see how the campaign has grown since then:
Since the launch of Unblocktober, the campaign has seen massive success and significant growth each year. Including individual and business sign-ups, the first Unblocktober in 2019 involved more than 4,500 participants; this running total grew to more than 14,500 in 2020, and over 32,000 in 2021.
As of 2023, the total lifetime number of Unblocktober participants is now just over 68,000!
"Unblocktober is more than just an awareness month - it's a movement towards a healthier environment.
“Since its inception in 2019, Unblocktober has empowered individuals and businesses to make small, impactful changes that collectively have a massive positive effect on our drains, sewers, and seas.
“Together, we can create lasting change for our communities and our planet. Join the movement today!"
- Jacob Larkin, Unblocktober Campaign Coordinator
Be part of the Unblocktober story!
Since 2019, Unblocktober has gone from reflecting a desire for change to being an established institution - one that is helping to change attitudes and habits across the country. Every year, the campaign aims to bring about meaningful change in our fight to protect the UK’s sewers and seas. We see a bright future ahead for Unblocktober - and it’s one that YOU can be part of!
If you want to join the growing ranks of Unblocktober supporters across the country, all you need to do is sign up below, either as an individual member or as a business supporter:
By signing up, you’ll receive your official Unblocktober resource pack, and you’ll be ready to commit to better habits that will protect your drains and help to preserve our precious environment!