Life’s a beach for volunteers of clean-up group

‘The Beach Cleaners – Ards & North Down’ Facebook group has 1,900 members and clean-ups are organised weekly by various members including Alliance councillor Martin McRandal, who organises a monthly clean-up at Seapark beach in Holywood.

Mr McRandal said: “We find all sorts, as you can imagine. During the summer there is a lot of fresh litter of all types.

“At this time of year not so much. However we always find a lot of washed-in waste – small plastics, wet wipes, sanitary products.

“We met earlier this year with NI Environment Agency and NI Water as the wet wipes and sanitary products are flushed down loos and make their way through the sewerage system.”

Fortunately, the amount of litter found is falling, according to a UK-wide survey which found an average of 385 items per 100-metre stretch of beach this year, down from 425 items in 2020 and 558 in 2019.

With 75% of all the items collected in beach cleans made of plastic or polystyrene, the conservation group is calling for ambitious policies that would phase out the manufacture and sale of plastic products in the UK.

Lesley Crawshaw, who runs the page, said: “Our group runs monthly events around the coastline of Ards & North Down. We encourage members to get involved in a range of activities relating to litter.”

She added: “I also regularly lift litter along my local coastline here in Bangor.

“The usual rubbish – cans, bottles, polystyrene fast food containers, sweet wrappers, crisp packets, bottlecaps, some masks, drinks lids, cups, and bits of broken down plastic.

“We find a wide variety of litter washed up along the coastline. It’s shocking how much washes up daily.”

Helen Tomb, manager of Live Here Love Here, a group which supports and promotes environmental and community improvement in Northern Ireland, said: “The clean-ups are typically well attended by local residents and some from further afield. I travel from Belfast to join the group.

“I represent Live Here Love Here, and often provide refreshments for the group as part of our Healthy Oceans Healthy Minds programme supported by Belfast Harbour.”

Ms Tomb added: “Everyone is welcome to join the clean-ups, equipment is provided and the atmosphere is welcoming and friendly.”

- Cotton bud sticks moved out of the UK’s top 10 most common items of rubbish this year, with the number recorded the lowest in the beach clean’s 28-year history.

- Numbers of single-use plastic bags on beaches have also continued to drop, from an average of 13 per stretch of beach in 2013 to just three in 2021.

- Levels of personal protective equipment (PPE) found littered on beaches rank 59th out of 121, similar to 2020 when masks were made mandatory across the UK.

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