UK Beaches Need Helping Hands!
Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) is calling on coastal community volunteers to roll up their sleeves in the wake of the winter storms and head down to their nearest Big Spring Beach Clean event, which will be running at over 120 of our beautiful beaches across the UK this 28th, 29th, 30th & 31st March to help tackle the marine litter crisis.
Coastal communities have found their beaches impacted by marine litter on an unprecedented scale. Tide lines are covered in a thick, multi-coloured layer of marine litter as far as the eye can see. Cotton bud sticks, shipping crates, carrier bags, water bottles, fishing netting, cigarette butts, mermaid’s tears – the vast majority of it plastics. In response to these devastating beach scenes SAS called on coastal communities across the UK to respond to this crisis and to register their favourite beaches as part of SAS’s Big Spring Beach Clean.
The response of community lead volunteers has been truly inspiring and with Big Spring Beach Cleans going ahead at over 120 beaches from Sennen (nr Land’s End) to Thurso (nr John O’ Groats) and Cromer to Portrush, SAS are now calling for 3000 volunteers to support their local events by heading down and lending their helping hands to remove over 15 tonnes of marine litter from our precious coastlines this March the 28th – 31st.
Everyone is welcome at these fantastic events. To find your nearest Big Spring Beach Clean go to the SAS website’s events page (http://www.sas.org.uk/events/), emailing beachcleans@sas.org.uk or call 01872 553001 and get involved. Surfers Against Sewage have provided Lead Volunteers with beach clean equipment plus full health and safety, public liability and event organisation support. Meaning that you can be sure of a safe, informative and, most importantly, fun event!
Marine litter isn’t just an unsightly and hazardous mess of brightly coloured objects that people have to contend with on a family trip to the beach, it is a direct and increasing threat to the sustainability of our marine ecosystems. Plastics make up the vast majority of marine litter and will persist in our marine environments for hundreds if not thousands of years wreaking havoc upon marine life. From well-documented tragedies such as whales and turtles mistaking our single use shopping bags for jelly fish, to the bio-accumulation of gender bending persistent organic pollutants (POPs) such as PCBs, within food chains due to marine life mistaking micro-plastics for food.
Hugo Tagholm, SAS Chief Executive says: “The marine litter crisis poses an unprecedented threat to the sustainability of our marine environments a threat that the world is only just waking up to. This March when over 120 coastal communities unite, during our Big Spring Beach Clean, to confront the marine litter crisis we hope to turn that awakening into action”
Surfers Against Sewage are pleased to welcome Vita Coco Coconut Water as Big Spring Beach Clean lead sponsors, their teams will be rolling up their sleeves and joining them on beaches across the UK whilst providing much needed hydration for volunteers at three Flagship Big Spring Beach Clean Events. SAS are also delighted that Vita Coco Coconut Water will be working with them to maximise recycling at all events.
Giles Brook, CEO – Europe of Vita Coco Coconut Water (Big Spring Beach Clean Lead Sponsors) says; “We’re delighted to support the UK’s leading environmental surf charity to better protect beaches from marine litter. As a brand, Vita Coco was born on the beaches of Brazil, so we fully support the importance of protecting our beautiful beaches for future generations to enjoy. We are excited to roll our sleeves up and get stuck into cleaning beaches all around the UK this March.”
Surfers Against Sewage are more active than ever before in responding to the marine litter crisis through innovative & award-winning campaigns and the imminent announcement of an ambitious and ground-breaking Marine Litter Report, exploring the scale and causes of the marine litter crisis and the announcement the strategies that SAS believe can deliver the reductions needed in levels of marine litter to protect the environment.
