Help clear up the rubbish with a beach clean up

What would be helpful and encouraging for us all is to know that lots of people are getting involved.   People are already caring for the ocean.  We just have to join them and lend a hand.  We’re not acting alone. 

Join in beach clean ups

There are hundreds of people getting involved all over the world.  People are doing what they can in their patch with their own communities.   They are getting up at the weekends, heading to the beach, joining groups and getting busy picking up litter.  Joining groups like this is empowering – it shows that we’re not acting alone.  

Not near a beach?

If you’re nowhere near a beach, check out the Canal and River Trust to see if there’s a volunteer group near you.  The water from rivers and canals end up somewhere.

Be inspired by...

A whopper beach clean

An amazing example is a the Versova beach clean up in India, near the city of Mumbai.   One man started a beach clean and others gradually joined in.  In the end 1,000 volunteers took 85 months to turn the beach from a huge rubbish dump and turn it into a pristine, beautiful place.   And volunteers have planted 500 trees as well.  

A smaller beach clean

In Dorset in the south of England, there are small groups of volunteers who are packing a punch and having a real local impact on their beaches by taking part in beach clean ups.   They also campaign, educate and promote the importance of healthy living for us all.  Click here for more info

7 beach clean up ideas

1. The Marine Conservation Society Great British Beach Clean - 15-18 September 2017, but there are also lots of events you can get involved with during the year.  
2. The Great Winter Nurdle Hunt - there's a nurdle guide to help you.
3. The #2minutebeachclean  - spend just 2 minutes clearing the beach, or more!  Every piece of marine plastic removed from the beach is a piece that will no longer go on to kill.
4. World Clean up Day - 15 September 2018 - people in 150 countries will stand up against the global trash problem and clean up waste
5. Just go and create your own beach clean up - even five minutes is better than none
6. Clean up as you go - always take your litter home with you and dispose of it, recycling where you can
7. Why not suggest your company does a beach clean as a team building event?