Every September, thousands of people across the UK head to the coast to take-part in the Great British Beach Clean.
In addition to being a great excuse to clean your local beach, taking part means joining in with a week-long science event. Litter data helps inform and drive the conservation work of the Marine Conservation Society and feeds into the strategy of the International Coastal Clean-up (ICC).
This is a great reason to take one of the steps in Giki Zero, to join a beach clean.
Good reasons to join a beach clean
Joining a beach clean to help clean up plastic, help animals, and make your beach look wonderful again is a relatively easy step to take but one that can make a decent impact. You’ll cut carbon, remove plastics, and support your own wellbeing.
A clean beach is a nicer place to visit, so it is good for your local community, and people can enjoy a day in nature.
Plastic pollution is very harmful to sea life and birds, so clearing it up will help protect them.
- 6 out of the top 10 items of rubbish found on the beach are made of plastic.
- Approximately 5,000 items of marine plastic pollution have been found per mile of beach in the UK.
- 100,000 marine animals and one million seabirds are killed by marine plastic pollution every year.
Plan to take this step
Log in or sign up to Giki Zero and commit to taking this step. Next, plan and research beach cleans near you to join.
Beach cleans are often organised by local schools, lifeguards, youth, and community groups. You can also find organised beach cleans with the Marine Conservation Society.
