Keen to take part in the Great British Beach Clean from 16-25th September this year, but unable to get to the coast? You can still make an important contribution by taking part in their new inland Source to Sea Litter Quest, picking and recording the litter you find in parks or on streets near you.
As well as giving nature and wildlife a helping hand, you’ll record valuable data that can help us better understand the journey from land to sea, and help the MCS campaign for more effective solutions.
At last year’s Great British Beach Clean, 55,776 metres of beach across the UK were cleared and surveyed by 5,909 volunteers. They collected 1,638 bin bags filled with 4,832.9kg of rubbish.
75% of all litter collected across the UK during last year’s Great British Beach Clean was made of plastic or polystyrene.
To take part inland, simply download a survey form and head outside.
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Great British Beach Clean ambassador Zoe Lyons said: “The inland litter picks collect information which will help the Marine Conservation Society understand how much of the litter on our beaches is making its way there from our villages, towns and cities far from the coast.”
Last year, volunteers taking part in the Marine Conservation Society’s Coastal Clean-up and citizen science project collected 151,422 litter items, which included PPE equipment on 30% of beaches.
Lizzie Prior, Beachwatch Officer at the Marine Conservation Society says: “The Great British Beach Clean is a fantastic opportunity to make a real difference. Not only do volunteers help keep the UK’s beaches beautiful and litter-free, they collect vital data on what’s polluting our environment.”
First launched in 1994, the Great British Beach Clean has played a key role in the introduction of the 5p single-use carrier bag charge, the ban on microbeads in personal cleaning products like shower gels and toothpastes, the commitment to a Deposit Return Scheme in Scotland (and the consultation on one in England and Wales), and a ban on plastic straws, stirrers and cotton buds in England from next year.
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Dr Laura Foster, Head of Clean Seas at the Marine Conservation Society, has said: “Single-use plastic has been used increasingly during the pandemic, but we need to ensure this is not a permanent backwards step. At the same time, we’ve seen people spending more time outdoors and enjoying our beaches.
“We’re calling on the government for a truly green recovery, fit for a low-carbon future. All-inclusive Deposit Return Schemes and an Extended Producer Responsibility system would make huge impacts on the volume of litter we see in the ocean, in our parks and across beaches. We need systematic change and ambitious policy to truly curb the litter polluting our ocean and environment.”
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How to take part in the Great British Beach Clean
If you would like to participate in the Great British Beach Clean (16th-25th September 2021), visit: mcsuk.org/beachwatch
Main image credit: Marco Betti/Marine Conservation Society.