What is 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).
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.
385
litter items found per 100m of beach surveyed at last year's Great British Beach Clean
30
%
of beach cleans last year found face masks and PPE
55
%
drop in plastic bags found on UK beaches since 5p charge was introduced
Children enjoying the Great British Beach Clean on Rottingdean beach, Great British Beach Clean 2020.
Credit: Billy Barraclough
How to get involved
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 [email protected] 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 signing up to an organised event.
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.
