A group of 18 volunteers, some standing and some crouching, pose on a sandy beach with blue collection bags and litter pickers after a beach clean event as part of the Marine Conservation Society's Beachwatch program

The Great British Beach Clean

The Great British Beach Clean is a week-long citizen science event taking place between Friday 18th - Sunday 27th September 2026, where hundreds of beach cleans take place up and down the UK.

Find a GBBC beach clean near you

What is the Great British Beach Clean?

With the help of our supporters, we're working to clean up beaches all around the UK and Northern Ireland. Every year in September, we run our flagship Great British Beach Clean event to encourage people to get involved.

Litter data collected on beach cleans drives our conservation work, helps us to campaign for change, and also feeds into the International Coastal Clean-up (ICC).

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.

A large group of approximately 30 volunteers participating in a beach clean event stand smiling on a pebble beach, many holding litter pickers and bags, with a pier visible in the background.

A group of volunteers participating in a Great British beach clean in Brighton | Image credit: Rose Bainbridge

But there is still so much to do to stop the litter plaguing our beaches.

GBBC 2025 in numbers

232229

litter items removed

6482

volunteers

miles of beach cleaned

How to get involved

It's easy to get involved. Simply find a beach clean near you or register as a volunteer and organise your own. We've got lots of guides and resources available to help you get set up.

Beach cleans are fun for all the family (including dogs!), and the data collected helps us to campaign for positive change for the ocean.

Find a GBBC beach clean near you