More than 220 volunteers from county Meath are already registered and ready to join Clean Coasts for the Annual Clean Coasts’ Big Beach Clean, taking place from September 18th to 20th. Last year, an estimated 1.2 tonnes of litter was removed by 200 volunteers in county Meath as part of the Big Beach Clean. This year we want to maximise the positive impact for our coast and inland waterways and encourage beach-lovers nationwide to remove litter and record data on commonly found items.
Supported by Kia Ireland, the Big Beach Clean is an annual call-to-action as part of the International Coastal Cleanup (ICC), a global initiative led by Ocean Conservancy to mark the end of the bathing season. In 2025, Big Beach Cleaners were a part of over 630,000 volunteers world-wide that took part in the International Coastal Cleanup.
On a national level over 500 groups registered to host a clean-up in Ireland for the Big Beach Clean 2025, with almost 11,000 volunteers ultimately removing approximately 60 tonnes of litter from our marine environment. This year, we want to continue the coastal care efforts and promote citizen science action through filling out the Big Beach Clean Marine Litter Data Cards.
5,000 volunteers nationwide are already set to host a beach clean or join an existing one for 2026 – and you can be a part of that by registering today. This nationwide event invites individuals, families, and communities to come together, clean their local coastline or waterways, and contribute to this global citizen science effort.
With the deadline for registering for the Big Beach Clean fast approaching, this is a final reminder to volunteers to sign up before 7th September to avail of free a clean-up kit (while stocks last) and make a positive impact on the Irish coast and waterways.
Upon signing up, participants receive all materials needed to run their beach clean and to record litter data using the Clean Coasts Marine Litter Data Cards or the Clean Swell App, which in turn helps contribute to global marine litter research.
Whether you’re an individual or part of a group, visit https://cleancoasts.org/
Pictured above are members of Rosslare Tidy Towns Group L-R Olga Zhyvytsia, Margret Hartigan, Micheál Delaney, Dima Plysuk, Pat Doyle and Sharon Fox, taking part in a beach clean at the Big Beach Clean launch at Rosslare Strand, Wexford. Image by Maura Hickey. Part of the many volunteers helping to keep our coasts clean here in Ireland and across many parts of the world.
