We have returned to hold another clean on Swansea Beach with the Stand-up Paddle-boarding Society from Swansea University.
We worked with the Standing Paddle-boarding society back in February, and nine months later their members were keen to sign up for yet another clean. 11 volunteers came to litter pick, many of them explaining that as they paddle-board on this beach often, they were keen to see it litter-free.
Swansea Beach is covered in microplastic pieces, something we find often, but on this beach it is especially prevalent. Where the strand line runs along the beach, we discovered lots of pieces of plastic washed ashore. Something we also found lots of was abanded fishing gear, also known as ghost gear. These discarded nets float in the water and are lethal to any marine life that gets tangled in it.
Swansea beach is very sandy and this loose sand means that items can get buried very quickly. We found that lots of small items of litter were buried just below the surface, things like bottle caps, food wrappers etc.
Some of the more unusual items we found included:
- A metal warning sign
- A large jerry can
- A sock
- An inhaler
- A t-shirt and three socks
- An octopus toy
After two hours we gathered together to see how much we had collected. 11 bags were full of 23.89 kilos of litter. When we consider how small and lightweight the microplastic pieces are, that made up the bulk of what was collected, this is a huge achievement!
Thank you so much to the Stand-up Paddle-boarding society for partnering with us for another clean.
To book a clean with us, email hello@lifesabeach.org to find out more.
