Volunteers across Donegal picked up over 3 tonnes of marine litter last weekend in the Big Beach Clean.
After a break in 2020, the Big Beach Clean took place over the weekend between 17th and 19th September and Clean Coasts were overwhelmed with the incredible support and commitment shown by communities across Ireland.
In county Donegal, volunteers organised clean-ups in 25 different locations, removing approximately 3 tonnes of litter over the weekend. Moreover, Clean Coasts hosted a Big Beach Clean event at Bundoran Beach on Friday 17th, where 9 volunteers removed an additional 75 kg of marine litter.
Bundoran Clean Coasts group said: “We have regular beach cleans here, but it’s great to see regular faces and new members of the public joining us for this beach clean today and do something for the local community.”
9 volunteers joined the Clean Coasts’ Big Beach Clean event in Bundoran, co. Donegal. They collected 6 bags of marine litter for a total of 75kg
9 volunteers joined the Clean Coasts’ Big Beach Clean event in Bundoran, co. Donegal. They collected 6 bags of marine litter for a total of 75kg
Sinead McCoy, Coastal Communities Manager, said: “After a break in 2020 due to Covid, we were excited to host the Big Beach Clean again, but we didn’t know what to expect. This year there was a significant increase in clean-ups organised, but in a different format: we saw more people registering for clean-ups as individuals or within their household.”
Sinead continued: “This year, there was an over 5% decrease in litter found across Ireland. Overall this is an incredible improvement. The work that Irish volunteers do all year round to tackle litter and less waste dropped by more conscious beach users mean that we are heading in the right direction!”
Find out more about the Big Beach Clean at: https://cleancoasts.org/our-initiatives/big-beach-clean/