Every September thousands of people take to the beach all over the UK to take part in the Great British Beach Clean
The Great British Beach Clean is a week-long citizen science event, where hundreds of beach cleans take place up and down the UK. Litter data collected drives our conservation work and also feeds into the International Coastal Clean-up (ICC).
This year’s Great British Beach Clean will take place between Friday 17th – Sunday 26th September 2021.
On every clean we ask people to run a litter survey: recording all the items of rubbish they find in a 100m stretch. We use this data to campaign for real change.
And we have seen some great results, our data has been used to make a positive impact on our ocean – including the introduction of the plastic bag charge, banning microplastics in personal care products, better wet wipe labelling, and supporting a tax on single-use plastic items.
But there is still so much to do to stop the litter plaguing our beaches.
To get involved this year find a beach clean near you, or organise your own.
We offer step by step guides and provide all the resources you need to run a successful event. Our team is always on hand to help out with any questions you have.
You can email us at beachwatch@mcsuk.org or give us a call on 01989 567807. We’re available from 9am to 5pm from Monday to Friday.
It’s easy to take part in this year’s Great British Beach Clean.
Why not start by viewing the events that have already been organised to take place here.
Or you can organise your own beach clean, it’s a simple process and we’ll provide you with lots of guides and resources to help.