We teamed up once again with the Stand-Up Paddle-boarding Society to tackle Swansea Beach. We took to the beach despite the cold weather to clean up an 40.68 kilos.
This clean was unusual because we actually only walked a very small part of the beach. Despite the distance we managed to fill every volunteer’s bag to the top with tiny pieces of plastic and glass.
We managed to find lots of the usual items we would expect on a beach clean. Items such as plastic bottles, drinks cans, fishing lines etc. However, what was more worrying were the larger items such as bin bags, fireworks, balloons, and vapes.
What most surprised us however, was when we realised just how many small pieces of glass and plastic there were. There is no easy way to collect up these small bits of litter, and our amazing volunteers had to get on their knees and scoop up all of these tiny pieces with their hands. We were especially grateful that everyone was wearing safety gloves during this clean!
Some of these tiny pieces were harmless, but some were very dangerous. We dread to think what could have happened if a someone accidentally stepped on these sharper items. Broken bottles, jagged bits of plastic pipe, rusty nails, and sharp wire. We really want to highlight here that this is exactly why beach cleans are so important. They not only keep out beaches clean, but they also make them safer for everyone.
We want to say a huge thank you to this group of student volunteers, not just for giving their time during this clean, but for all the time they have volunteered with us across this year. Their efforts have absolutely helped to make their local coastline cleaner and safer for everyone.
If you would like to book a clean with us, please email hello@lifesabeach.org to find out more!
