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Launching Clean Coasts Big Beach Clean which takes place nationally from September 16-18, were Colum O’Sullivan, Cully & Sully, Elaine Doyle, Clean Coasts Campaigns Officer, Cullen Allen – Cully & Sully, Emlyn Cullen, National Spring Clean Manager, Proinsias Ó Tuama, Clean Coasts Ballynamona . Photo: Cathal Noonan
THE Big Beach Clean initiative is back, and Clean Coasts, supported by Cully and Sully, are calling people all across Kerry to register to receive clean-up kits and join the world biggest clean-up from from September 16th to 18th.
Last year in county Kerry almost 300 volunteers organised clean-ups in 10 different locations, removing approximately 1.8 tonnes of marine litter. Among these volunteers, Clean Coasts group Banna Coastcare saw a fantastic turnout for the beach clean event, with 67 willing collecting 30 bags of litter.
In 2021, a record number of over 400 clean-ups were organised by volunteers who removed 42 tonnes of litter across the whole country.
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This represented a 5% decrease in litter found across Ireland, compared to the previous year campaign, which reflects the incredible work that Irish volunteers do all year round to tackle litter, as well as more conscious behaviours by beach users.
The Big Beach Clean is an annual call to action and this year it will run as part of the International Coastal Cleanup (ICC), operated internationally by Ocean Conservancy.
This call to action invites communities and volunteers around the country to remove litter from around the Irish coast after the end of the bathing season.
This initiative is also an opportunity for volunteers to get involved in a worldwide citizen science project, which entails collecting the amount and types of litter on Irish beaches and filling in Clean Coasts’ Marine Litter Data Cards.
This will help heighten awareness about the issue of marine litter serving as an indicator of the magnitude of the problem and help shape future policies and campaigns.
The 2021 results have been shared with Ocean Conservancy and, in Ireland and regionally in Kerry, they have been used to shape Clean Coasts campaigns designed both for registered groups and the general public, tackling the top 10 offenders, such as cigarette butts, plastic bottles and food packaging. To register visit the Clean Coasts website at www.cleancoasts.org
