Registration now open for Clean Coasts’ 2022 Big Beach Clean

The Big Beach Clean is calling people all across Dublin to register to receive clean-up kits and join the world’s biggest clean-up.

In 2021, a record number of over 400 clean-ups were organised by volunteers who removed 42 tonnes of litter across the whole country.

This represented a five percent decrease in litter found across Ireland, compared to the previous year campaign, “which reflects the incredible work that Irish volunteers do all year round to tackle litter, as well as more conscious behaviours by beach users,” organisers say.

The Big Beach Clean is an annual call to action and this year it will run from September 16 to 18, as part of the International Coastal Cleanup (ICC), operated internationally by Ocean Conservancy.

“This call to action invites communities and volunteers around the country to remove litter from around the Irish coast after the end of the bathing season,” Clean Coasts says.

“This initiative is also an opportunity for volunteers to get involved in a worldwide citizen science project, which entails collecting the amount and types of litter on Irish beaches and filling in Clean Coasts’ Marine Litter Data Cards.

“This will help heighten awareness about the issue of marine litter serving as an indicator of the magnitude of the problem and help shape future policies and campaigns,” organisers say.

The 2021 results have been shared with Ocean Conservancy and, in Ireland and regionally in Dublin, they have been used to shape Clean Coasts campaigns designed both for registered groups and the general public, tackling the top 10 offenders, such as cigarette butts, plastic bottles and food packaging.

To register for the Big Beach Clean, you can visit www.cleancoasts.org