How to join or host your own beach clean

You can start small. Many people across the UK are already doing mini beach cleans every time they go out. They pop a rubbish bag and some gloves in their pack and make sure to take a few things every time they visit. You don’t need very fancy equipment. That bag and those gloves are really all that’s required – though it is also advisable to wear clothes and footwear appropriate to the conditions.

If you do pick up nurdles or other plastic waste with bare hands, remember to wash them thoroughly afterwards with soap, since plastic is known to adsorb certain pollutants. Sign up with one of the organisations that runs regular beach cleans – these include the Marine Conservation Society (MCS), Surfers Against Sewage and Sea Shepherd (which holds ‘marine debris’ litter picks). MCS just recently held their Great British Beach Clean, but you won’t have to wait for the next one of these to organise another one. The mcsuk.org site has a list of upcoming beach cleans across the country that you can join.

Become a Marine Conservation

Society Beachwatch volunteer. Such beach cleaners note down all the items they find in a 100m stretch of beach. “Every lolly stick, lost toy or piece of plastic; we record it,” they say.

“This data is hugely important as it helps us track litter back to source, and enables us to campaign for change.” Walk and pick. Surfers Against Sewage have been running their Million Mile Beach clean campaign this year, which has targeted 100,000 volunteers walking 10 miles whilst cleaning the places they love, often charting their distances on Strava.

You can organise you own beach clean or join one that is already happening. SAS provides a beach clean kit with enough equipment for 30 volunteers.

Join the Great Global Nurdle Hunt. It’s mostly a matter of picking a patch of beach and counting, but there are further instructions on Fidra’s Nurdle Hunt site, www.nurdlehunt.org. uk. Bring the kids. Beach cleans are often a fun day out for all the family and learning experience. But make sure children are supervised, wear gloves, and are sharps aware.