Estimated 2.4 tonnes of litter removed in Mayo for the Big Beach Clean

In an extraordinary display of environmental stewardship and community spirit, 7,700 Clean Coasts volunteers rolled up their sleeves and removed a staggering over 46 tonnes of litter all across the country as part of the Big Beach Clean. That is the equivalent of 12 hippos!

In Mayo, 21 groups and over 400 volunteers removed an estimated 2.4 tonnes of marine litter. Clean-ups happened in various locations, including Achill, Ballina, Claremorris, Newport and Louisburgh.

Among them, Clean Coasts group Keep Our Beaches Clean hosted their Big Beach Clean event on Bertra Beach. Volunteers commented that the beach was less littered than previous years. However, the group managed to remove a few bags of marine litter as well as baskets and oyster nets, and a lot of plastic items.

Clean Coasts officer Olivia Jones also met the Crossboyne Village Enhancement Group, who are situated just outside Claremorris – a 'Think Before you Flush' region for 2023. Over 20 people turned out to remove litter and to maintain the area.

Olivia spoke about the connection between inland areas and the ocean, and how 70% of marine litter comes from inland areas. The local river, the Robe, runs along the area they were cleaning, into Lough Mask and on to the Atlantic through Co. Galway.

Clean Coasts were delighted to join a fantastic Big Beach Clean event in An Corran as well, where volunteers hosted a beach clean and then gathered for a marine litter workshop where they learnt more about upcycling waste and created art with the litter removed.

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.

This year's Big Beach Clean was also part of Clean Coasts 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.

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.”

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. 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 clean-up, 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, Clean Coasts worked with Mayo-based community group Keep Our Beaches Clean to raise awareness about issues and solutions regarding smoking-related litter by installing informational stickers on cigarette bins that had were places on several beaches and popular spots in the Louisburgh area.