Clean Coasts make sure that life is a clean beach in Cork

LITTERING is a problem in our oceans and on our beaches, but Clean Coasts work around the clock and across the country to try and fight this.

Elaine Doyle, Clean Coasts campaigns and development officer for Cork and other surrounding counties, told The Echo about the work they do.

“We have a calendar of events throughout the year, starting off in spring with our roadshows, where we meet different groups and host events including talks, film screenings and workshops. We go wherever we’re asked, to meet schools and community groups and chat to them about cleanups, and new groups looking for support,” she said.

The organisation can offer supplies or grants of up to €500 to groups looking to make a difference in their area, Ms Doyle said, explaining that “the main things they want are clean-up kits; gloves, bags, litter pickers”.

“Often, people apply for grants to hire a bus to go on a clean-up; one group last year got a bench, so that people could sit and admire the work they had done, while others use it for insurance.”

These grants are funded by the corporate workshops that Clean Coasts put on, whereby organisations get in contact with the group and pay them to come in and host events for their staff, including games, team-building exercises, and a beach clean.

Next on their calendar is the ‘Think Before You Flush’ campaign, in partnership with Uisce Éireann, which tackles sewage on beaches by encouraging people not to flush rubbish down the toilet, because it can end up on beaches.

In May, Ms Doyle met with students from Coláiste an Spioraid Naoimh, in Bishopstown, for a Think Before You Flush campaign workshop on Myrtleville Beach, which highlighted issues associated with flushing items such as wipes, cotton bud sticks, and dental floss down the toilet.

Bathing season runs from June to September, she said, explaining: “We encourage community groups to go out for our two big clean-up days: World Ocean Day on June 8 and the Big Beach Clean in September.”

BEACH-CLEANING GROUPS

Ms Doyle said that there are beach-cleaning groups in Cobh, Youghal, and Clonakilty, who meet frequently, and that Clean Coasts support these crews.

Clean Coasts also run Green Coast Awards to recognise beaches of high environmental quality, with applicant sites needing to be managed in partnership with the local community to be considered.

Ring, Ardnahinch, Ballynamona Beach, Inch Strand, Fountainstown Beach, Rocky Bay, Inchydoney East, Red Strand, Silver Strand, Cadogan’s Strand, Ballyrisode, Galley Cove, Dooneen Pier, and Garnish Beach were shortlisted for Green Coast Awards in May 2024.

The Big Beach Clean in September involves cleaning the beaches, but also some citizen science, Ms Doyle said.

“Groups make note of the kind of litter they find, we then take that data and look at the litter anecdotally. Last year, we found cigarette butts were the most common type.”

All of their events feed into their Ocean Heroes Awards at end of the year.

“The awards acknowledge those who have gone above and beyond, people put in nominations and there is an award ceremony in December.”

Mark McCarthy, from Schull, was one of the nominees in 2023, Ms Doyle said. “He’s a powerboat instructor, who posts videos on Instagram of two minute beach cleans he does; he’s added them into classes he teaches as well.”

The group is always broadening their focus, including helping groups with dune protection, using nature-based solutions to help community groups build their sand dunes back up.