The SAS Big Spring Beach Clean
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Photo Courtesy of Surfers Against Sewage
The Big Spring Beach Clean is the largest and most impactful volunteer beach cleaning project in the UK. Across the UK, almost 17,000 volunteers have joined Surfers Against Sewage at 475 beaches and river banks to remove 55 tonnes of plastic pollution.
The single-use plastic drinks bottle was, once again, one of the most commonly found items (with over 17,000 being removed and recycled with Ecover). The poster child for our ‘throwaway’ society, the plastic bottle perfectly demonstrates the need to both refuse single-use plastic and to ensure that we trap the plastic that we have to use in a circular economy, preventing it ever escaping into our environment. Whilst they remain committed to tackling plastic pollution on their beaches for as long as it takes, each and every SAS beach clean volunteer longs for a day when beach clean are nothing but a fond memory and we truly have plastic free coastlines. SAS has been blown away by the response to the Big Spring Beach Clean this year and, together with their Beach Clean volunteers, they will continue to work towards a day where plastic-free coastlines have become a reality.
SAS Rep for Scarborough, Steve Crawford, said it best, "My hope for the future? Is going down to a beach clean and realising there’s nothing to do, no plastic, nothing and all there is to do is sit and look at the sea. You go there and that beach is pristine. That’s the dream, the end goal. And there are lots of ways we can do it”.
Sundried have a strong ethos of recycling plastic bottles and we do so by turning them into clothing. Read more about Sundried's recycled clothing here.
Photo Courtesy of Surfers Against Sewage
Top 10 Big Spring Beach Clean 2017 Stats
- 475 – SAS Big Spring Beach Cleans took place across all regions of the UK
- 16,944 – SAS Big Spring Beach Clean volunteers
- 55,541kg – Of marine litter removed from the UK’s coastline
- 74,000 hours – Donated by SAS Big Spring Beach Clean volunteers
- 17,000+ – Single-use plastic bottles removed and recycled with Ecover
- Weird, Old and Wonderful – A broken open safe, terrapin shell, two 7.62 rifle bullets and a cider can from the 1960’s to name just a few of the surprising items found
- Longest Litter Journey – A Cornwall Council recycling bin found washed up on The Isle of Skye!
- Government Representation – From DEFRA Environment Minister Dr Therese Coffey to Tynemouth’s Young Persons Mayor, Oscar Daniels more than 10 MPs, MSPs, Mayors and local councillors volunteered
- Dawn ‘Till Dusk Big Spring Beach Clean 6am – 6pm cleaning 5 beaches around Bude with The Plastic Movement engaging 200 people and removing 835kg!
- 91 Years YOUNG – Oldest Big Spring Beach Clean Volunteer (Freshwater West, Wales)
If you've been inspired and would like more information on how to get involved with Surfers Against Sewage, especially as they work closely within the community in Southend and Thorpe Bay, follow the below links to their social accounts:
Surfers Against Sewage on Facebook
You can also get involved by doing your own #MiniBeachClean and letting the SAS Beach Clean Team know at beachcleans@sas.org.uk and sharing @surfersagainstsewage.
