After a break in 2020, the Big Beach Clean initiative is back and Clean Coasts are calling people in county Clare to register to receive clean-up kits and join the world biggest clean-up.
In 2019, the campaign reported record breaking numbers with over 300 clean-ups taking place around all of Ireland, engaging approximately 8,000 volunteers who removed at least 45 tonnes of marine litter across the country.
In Clare, 15 clean-up events were organised, where approximately 350 volunteers got involved, removing over 2 tonnes of litter all over the region.
The Big Beach Clean is an annual call to action and this year it will run from 17th to 19th September, 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.
The Big Beach Clean also takes place over the same weekend as World Clean Up Day, which normally unites more than 20 million people in 180 countries, who come together to tackle litter. For this reason, in 2021, with the involvement of the National Spring Clean programme, registrations will again be open to all residents of Ireland, no matter how far from the coast they are based. Statistics show that the number one cause of marine litter is litter dropped in towns and cities. Getting involved in the Big Beach Clean is a way for residents of non-coastal counties to help prevent litter entering our waterways and seas by holding a clean-up no matter where they are in the country and tackling the problem at source.
As sea lovers and sustainability supporters, Cully and Sully are joining Clean Coasts again and are very excited to be supporting the Big Beach Clean by providing volunteers with clean up kits. Cully and Sully will also be hosting flagship events which will be announced in August.
Cullen Allen (Cully) said “we are delighted to be supporting Big Beach Clean 2021. We love our beaches and waterways and use them all year round for various activities from windsurfing to sea swimming and we know how important it is for everyone to continue to protect them. We are hopeful for a bumper sign up year this year and looking forward to the events in September”
To register visit the Clean Coasts website at www.cleancoasts.org