Save the beach

Subida por neil · Hace 667 días ·

From the mundane debris of food wrappers and cigarette butts to a laboratory incubator and a pile of spring onions, Britain’s beaches are strewn with litter, according to a Marine Conservation Society study.

The Marine Conservation Society, a charity dedicated to the protection of the marine environment, revealed in their most recent report that while overall levels of rubbish had fallen, plastic litter had reached an unprecendented 64%, its highest level ever. The rise of plastic litter is particularly alarming as it remains in the environment for hundreds of years and never fully degrades, as noted by our volunteers Marcos and Ramon earlier in our campaign. Other items of rubbish in the top ten include food wrappers, cigarette butts, plastic bottles and cotton bud sticks, of which nearly 13,000 were found.

The MCS report warns that coastal communities are bearing the brunt of the rising tide of litter, which has massive ramifications on tourism, fishing and water sports. Marine animals are also at risk, with thousands estimated to be killed each year by the increasing wave of rubbish.

Of the rubbish collected by more than 4,500 MCS volunteers, the public was deemed responsible for almost half – such items as crisp wrappers and plastic bottles contributing to an astonishing 42%. Emma Snowden, Litter Projects Coordinator at MCS, attributes the hefty figure to the country’s inhabitants washing litter down the drains as well as failing to clean up adequately after time spent on the beach.

While there are movements in place for a government action plan on marine litter, Snowden stresses that it is also a matter of personal responsibility. “Every bit of litter has an owner. We can all help by not dropping or throwing it out the window, by taking a cloth bag to the supermarket, by refilling water bottles. Sewage-related debris is a really easy one to stop. If people would stop using their toilets as a wet bin, we wouldn’t have this on the beach.”

The MSC also provides a Good Beach Guide to present a measure of the country’s best and worst kept beaches with 22 beaches across the UK receiving a failing grade last year – a fail equates to a low standard of water quailty in relation to set European standards where swimming is not advised. While it’s worrying that any of our beaches are below par, steps are being taken to rectify the situation – Combe Martin Beach, which was ranked as Britain’s worst-kept beach last year, has been submitted to our campaign and could be saved by Corona Save the Beach this year http://www.coronasavethebeach.org/combe-martin-beach/

The Marine Conservation Society is currently calling for volunteers to take part in its Beachwatch Big Weekend in September and help turn the tide on UK beach litter. As mentioned previously, over 4,500 volunteers took part in last year’s Beachwatch Big Weekend, cleaning 397 beaches in the process and Snowden is urging the British public to get involved and make this year’s even bigger and better; “If you care about our amazing marine wildlife and are concerned about the growing tide of litter in the UK, this is your chance to take part in MCS Beachwatch Big Weekend and make a real difference…”

We all have our part to play in stemming the tide of rubbish on our coastlines, whether it involves altering the way you dispose of personal rubbish or taking a larger stance and taking part in societal clean-ups. As pointed out by Snowden, every bit of rubbish has an owner…

Sources

http://www.mcsuk.org/

http://www.guardian.co.uk

http://www.dailymail.co.uk

http://www.travelbite.co.uk