MAKING SEASIDE BEACHES SPARKLE

MAKING SEASIDE BEACHES SPARKLE

LAST YEAR’S BEACH CLEAN saw almost 5,500 volunteers collect over 140,000 pieces of litter.

Staff at parks belonging to Park Holidays UK volunteered to take part in the Marine Conservation Society’s Great British Beach Clean this autumn. Marking its 30th anniversary this year, the annual clean-up event aims to rid beaches of litter and to highlight the importance of disposing of waste properly.

Many of the 50-plus parks belonging to the group played their part, each based alongside some of the most attractive beaches in England, Scotland and Wales. Group director Tony Clish said that there was no lack of volunteers coming forward to help keep the sands spotless for holiday guests: “This summer, as ever, the glorious beaches adjoining many of our parks made the perfect day out for families – whether they were basking, playing, swimming or rock-pooling.

“We want everyone to be able to enjoy a clean and safe environment when they go down to the sea and are proud supporters of the Marine Conservation Society’s initiative. “A beach free of litter doesn’t just benefit holiday guests, it also helps remove a serious threat to marine life when the waste is swept out by the waves.

“We hope that our efforts will send out a wider signal about the importance of taking items such as plastic drink bottles and food wrappings back from the beach for recycling,” he said. According to the Marine Conservation Society, last year’s Beach Clean saw almost 5,500 volunteers taking part and collecting over 140,000 pieces of litter.

War On Plastics

War On PlasticsWar On Plastics

Mother Ivey’s Bay Holiday Park in Padstow has stepped up its fight to keep local beaches clean by investing in special equipment which can rid the sand of micro-plastics. Called a trommel, the machine sieves the sand to separate out ‘nurdles’, the small plastic pellets produced in their billions each year during the manufacture of plastic products. The anti-pollution device, which is operated manually, has been designed and manufactured by Nurdle, a not-for-profit business based in North Devon. Staff at Mother Ivey’s Bay carry out regular beach clean-ups throughout the year. Once the nurdles have been separated, they are up-cycled and used by local artist Veronika Niewiadomsk, to create special pieces of creative work.