Volunteers needed for Big Beach Clean
Over 400 groups and more than 10,000 volunteers nationwide are set to join the Big Beach Clean from September 20-22, to remove marine litter and be part of an international citizen science project.
Fifteen groups and 300 volunteers who reside in County Tipperary are all set to join Clean Coasts for the Big Beach Clean this September 20 to 22, supported by Kia Ireland to make a positive impact on the Irish coast and waterways. With the deadline for registering fast approaching, this is a final reminder to volunteers to sign up before September 11 to avail of free kit, while stocks last.
Statistics show that 70% of litter in our ocean comes from land-based activities. Litter from towns and cities can get into our waterways and stream or get caught on the wind and travel out the coast and become marine litter. For this reason, wherever you are in the country, we can all have an incredibly positive effect on our natural environment and coast by cleaning up our local spaces.
The Big Beach Clean is part of the International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) organised by the Ocean Conservancy, and is an annual call-to-action for individuals, families, and communities to join forces to carry out a clean-up at the end of the bathing season and join a worldwide citizen science project.
In 2023, over 400 groups registered to host a clean-up, with 7,700 Clean Coasts volunteers removing a staggering 46 tonnes of litter all across the country! This year looks set to see groups from all over Ireland turn out in huge numbers.
This year, clean-ups will be happening in various locations, including Nenagh, Roscrea, Clonmel and Thurles. A list of clean-ups happening in County Tipperary as part of the Big Beach Clean can be found on the Clean Coasts website.
Whether you’re an individual looking to set up a private clean up or a club looking to host a public one, you’ll find all the information you need on www.cleancoasts.org
UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY
Each item of litter collected and submitted via Marine Litter Data cards or Clean Swell app is shared with Ocean Conservancy, who will use the information received to create reports and advocate around the world to tackle the problem of ocean litter. Group efforts in Ireland will contribute to global data collected which can influence significant environmental policy changes worldwide, including the banning of certain plastic items like bags and straws or the implementation of laws to prohibit smoking on beaches. The data collected by our volunteers in previous years have informed national campaigns such as ‘Bin the Butt’ and ‘Break Up With Plastic’.
Litter on our beaches comes from many sources including drains and the streets of our towns and cities so it is important to ensure these areas are kept clean and litter free. In joining forces with The National Spring Clean programme, the Big Beach Clean also encourages residents from non-coastal communities to register and help prevent litter from entering our waterways and ocean.
In 2023, the top three items recorded during the Big Beach Clean weekend were plastic wrappers, cigarette butts and plastic bottles. Overall, the 2024 International Coastal Clean-up Report from Ocean Conservancy found that the top 3 items found on beaches worldwide in 2023 were cigarette butts, plastic bottles and bottle caps.
A recent national litter survey by business group Irish Business Against Litter (IBAL) revealed that since the introduction of the Government’s Deposit Return Scheme we have seen a fall in cans and plastic bottles on our streets contributing to an overall improvement in litter levels. There was a rise in the number of sites deemed clean across the country, with a significant fall in those judged to be ‘heavily littered’. Cigarette butts, one of this year’s top marine litter offenders remains stubbornly high, present in 31% of the 500+ sites surveyed by IBAL.
REGISTRATION DEADLINE OF SEPTEMBER 11
Registrations will close at 5pm on September 11. For more information and to register, visit www.cleancoasts.org