Estimated 5 1 tonnes of litter removed in Louth during the Big Beach Clean

Clean Coasts, the charity programme, run through the Environmental Education Unit of An Taisce, which engages communities in the protection of Ireland’s beaches, seas and marine life, says that 14 groups and 150 volunteers in Louth, removed an estimated 1.5 tonnes of marine litter during this year's Big Beach Clean.

The Big Beach Clean took place earlier this month, with clean-ups happening in various locations, including Carlingford, Cooley, Drogheda, Dromiskin, Dundalk and more. 

Supported by Cully and Sully, 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. 

Nationally, in what Clean Coasts describes as "an extraordinary display of environmental stewardship and community spirit", 7,700 Clean Coasts volunteers rolled up their sleeves and removed a staggering more than 46 tonnes of litter all across the country as part of the Big Beach Clean.

This year's Big Beach Clean was also part of Clean Coasts 20th anniversary celebrations, and the charity programme says it 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. 

Cully and Sully, who sponsored the initiative commented: "What a tremendous clean-up effort by the nation again this year. It’s mind blowing to think nearly 8,000 people took some time this September to come clean up Ireland's shores and waterways. We hope this campaign has helped bring an awareness of the importance of preventing waste, disposing of it correctly and recycling where possible."

Clean Coasts says that the next crucial step for volunteers who joined the initiative is for them to record the types and quantities of litter they collected on their local coastlines. By participating in this citizen science project, volunteers will contribute valuable data that will shape future campaigns and strategies aimed at preserving our oceans. 

By recording the amount and types of litter collected, volunteers contribute to a comprehensive overview of the marine litter problem. The information collected is used to shape Clean Coasts' campaigns, events and resources for volunteers, initiating targeted actions against the top litter offenders.

For instance, in 2022, the top three items recorded during the Big Beach Clean weekend were cigarette butts, plastic food wrappers and plastic pieces. These results were a starting point for the development of the Clean Coasts Anti-Smoking Litter campaign, as well as the creation of new resources for the Break Up With Plastic campaign.   

Furthermore, data collected are shared with Ocean Conservancy, who will use the information received to create reports and advocate around the world to tackle ocean trash at a global scale. 

The success of the Big Beach Clean campaign comes at the end of a summer full of environmental initiatives by local groups.

Clean Coasts is a charity programme, run through the Environmental Education Unit of An Taisce, which is one the SDGs Champions for 2023-24. Throughout the summer, Clean Coasts, working in conjunction with local communities, has been working once again towards achieving and promoting the Sustainable Development Goals through a series of initiatives and campaigns, focusing in particular on SDGs 3, 6, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15. 

Among them, during the summer, Clean Coasts worked with Local Authorities and community groups to promote the #2MinuteBeachClean campaigns, providing beach goers with what they needed to do an impromptu cleanup, and highlighting the benefits of a clean environment on the mind and body. 

Clean Coasts also worked with groups promoting the Enjoy And Protect campaign, focusing on the physical and mental benefits of spending time outdoors and protecting our environment. As part of this campaign, volunteers have organised several events, including yoga and beach cleaning series or kayak/SUP clean-ups.  

Finally, working with community groups, Clean Coasts developed a campaign and resources to help people learn more about the impact of smoking related litter and how to dispose of it correctly.