CLEAN-UP IS 63 tonnes gathered in record year

SOME 63 tonnes of marine litter were collected from Irish beaches during the Big Beach Clean over the weekend.

Volunteers took part in over 500 clean-ups across the country, ridding our shorelines of unsightly and potentially harmful rubbish.

The Big Clean is an annual call to action as part of the International Coastal Cleanup, operated internationally by Ocean Conservancy, at the end of the bathing season.

And this year was a record year for Ireland with the number of events planned.

Clean Coasts officers also attended beach cleans in several locations around Ireland.

Awareness

A spokesperson said: “Statistics show the No1 cause of marine litter is litter dropped in towns and cities.

“Getting involved in the Big Beach Clean has been a way for residents of non-coastal counties to help prevent litter entering our waterways.

“This initiative is also an opportunity for Big Beach Clean volunteers to get involved in a worldwide citizen science project, which entails collecting the amount and types of litter on beaches and filling in Clean Coasts’ Marine Litter Data Cards to share with Ocean Conservancy, help heighten awareness...and help shape future policies and campaigns.”

Plastic

So far, data collected from the International Coastal Cleanup have informed policy in a number of areas, leading to laws banning the use of plastic grocery bags, prohibiting smokingrelated litter, encouraging the use of reusable bags and prohibiting foam takeaway containers.

Clean Coasts have also created some resources to help people educate themselves on which household items are recyclable and how to correctly dispose of rubbish in your home as well as rubbishfound on the beach.

If you’re curious about recycling basics, common beach finds and how to dispose of them, what happens to our waste the go to https://cleancoasts.org/ how-to-recycle/.

BACK OPEN: Velvet Strand

now been resolved and the beach is open to the public for bathing and general use.

Members of the public can check for water quality at any of the monitored bathing waters in Ireland in advance by accessing the EPA website at www. beaches.ie or by checking the notice board which stands at the entrance to each beach.

UNSIGHTLY: Litter cleared from beaches by volunteers taking part in the Big Beach Clean and (top) fridge was among rubbish removed TOGETHER: Clean Coasts Dungarvan Sea Swimmers hosted their Big Beach Clean event on Clonea Beach in Waterford

HIGHLIGHT: Clean Coasts group Galway Atlantaquaria hosted a beach clean on Ladies Beach, Co Galway as part of event

MISSION: Clean Coasts group pose with a bag full of rubbish after the cleanup on the Ladies Beach in Co Galway