The Big Beach Clean invites communities and volunteers around the country to remove litter from around the Irish coast after the end of the bathing season. 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.   

In 2021, over 400 clean-ups being organised in Ireland, with volunteers removing 42 tonnes on marine litter. 

Since the first International Coastal Cleanup in 1986, over 17 million volunteers have joined local cleanup efforts big and small to remove 158 million kilograms of trash from beaches and waterways around the globe, all the while logging each item and building the world’s largest database on marine debris.  Data collected from the International Coastal Cleanup have informed policy in a number of areas, leading to laws banning the use of plastic grocery bags; prohibiting smoking-related litter; encouraging the use of reusable bags; prohibiting mass balloon releases; and prohibiting foam food and beverage takeaway containers.   

For this reason, Clean Coasts is delighted to be part of this global movement and want to thank all the volunteers in Ireland who have already registered to dedicate their time to this cause. 

People still wishing to join can do so by visiting the Clean Coasts website and check out the map of clean-up happening in their area. [details in editor’s notes] 

WEBSITE: www.cleancoasts.org  

 SOCIAL MEDIA       

• Facebook: @CleanCoasts   
• Twitter: @CleanCoasts   
• Instagram: @cleancoasts  
• YouTube: Clean Coasts Ireland   
• Linkedin: Clean Coasts       

Hashtags: #BigBeachClean2022 #CleanCoasts   

WEBSITE: https://cleancoasts.org/our-initiatives/big-beach-clean/   

Flagship event in Ardnahinch: Big Beach Clean Cork Tickets, Sat 17 Sep 2022 at 10:00 | Eventbrite 

Map of events: https://cleancoasts.org/our-initiatives/big-beach-clean/#Map   

About Clean Coasts:   

Clean Coasts is a 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. Clean Coasts works with communities to help protect and care for Ireland’s waterways, coastline, seas, ocean and marine life. Clean Coasts thrives to create tangible and immediate improvements to Ireland’s coastal environment, involving thousands of volunteers removing large quantities of marine litter from our coastline each year.    

Clean Coasts has grown over the years and now includes two main national clean-up drives. Other initiatives include the Green Coast Award, the Love Your Coast Photography competition, the Clean Coasts Roadshows for coastal communities and the Ocean Hero Awards. All these initiatives are aimed at celebrating the beauty of our coast and the efforts of our volunteers across all of Ireland.    

Currently, there are over 1800 registered Clean Coasts volunteering groups. There are a variety of group types such as community groups, residents’ associations, tidy towns groups, sports clubs, schools, businesses, universities etc. Clean Coasts organises hundreds of beach clean-ups annually mobilising thousands of volunteers, removing considerable quantities of marine litter from Ireland’s beaches and waterways.  Our volunteering has expanded to also include Corporate Volunteering.

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