7,700 Clean Coasts volunteers rolled up their sleeves and removed a staggering 46 tonnes of litter all across the country as part of the Big Beach Clean.
The Big Beach Clean is part of the International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) organised by the Ocean Conservancy, and it entails an annual call-to-action for individuals, families, and communities to join forces to carry out a clean-up at the end of the bathing season and join a worldwide citizen science project.
The Big Beach Clean flagship event took place on Thursday, 28th September, from 10:30 am-12:30 pm in Youghal at Redbarn Beach, in Cork, to wrap up the initiative.
The event marked the end of a successful and busy summer for Clean Coasts volunteers, as well as a celebration of Sustainable Development Goals Week. Among the participants, there were several schools, including 4th class Gaelscoil Chorain, Youghal and Glamire Community College from the city suburbs. Glanmire Community College were eager to collect data about cigarette and vape litter for their BT Young Scientist project.
During the event, volunteers collected an additional 260.5kg of litter, including a couch and door. In addition to the usual litter items, such as cigarette butts and plastic items, volunteers found a Teddy bear and fishing gear.
Youghal had been badly hit by Storm Agnes, with a roof blowing off a building on Front Strand.
This year's Big Beach Clean was also part of Clean Coast's 20th anniversary celebrations, and the charity programme was delighted to see volunteers from all walks of life, including community groups, Tidy Towns associations, students, families, local businesses, and environmental enthusiasts, unite with a shared commitment to tackle marine litter.
