Over 450 volunteers across Mayo gather for the Big Beach Clean

Over two and a half tonnes of litter was removed by over 450 volunteers across Mayo for the Big Beach Clean.

Clean Coasts received overwhelming support and commitment from volunteers and communities nationwide on the clean-up weekend which took place between September 20 and 22.  

This year, a record number of over 600 clean-ups were organised by volunteers who removed over 95 tonnes of litter nationwide, making this Clean Coasts’ largest clean-up event yet.   

In County Mayo, over 25 groups and over 450 volunteers removed an estimated two point seven tonnes of marine litter with clean-ups taking place in various locations.   

This included a group of ten volunteers from Wild Atlantic Yoga and Ross Sea Swimmers who came together to clean the back beach of Ross Killala. The group removed over 40 kilograms of waste, which included plastic bottles, nappies, and fishing related waste that had been accumulating in an area adjoining the beach. 

Over 20 volunteers young and old from Mulranny Environmental Group and the 12th Mayo Mulranny Scouts joined up to complete a clean-up of Mulranny Beach on Saturday 2, they collected approximately 84 kilograms of litter on the day.  

Clean Coasts joined forces with Kia Ireland who supported the initiative this year by providing clean-ups kits and supplies to our volunteers throughout the country.  

The Big Beach Clean is an annual call to action that runs as part of the International Coastal Clean-up (ICC), operated internationally by Ocean Conservancy and invites communities and volunteers around the country to remove litter from around the Irish coast after the end of the bathing season.   

Data from the International Coastal Clean-up has led to policies banning single-use plastics like bags, straws, and utensils, and has influenced global efforts to reduce ocean pollution. It has contributed to international agreements, national waste management reforms, and extended producer responsibility programs. 

These findings also support initiatives like littering fines, improved recycling, and the promotion of a circular economy. Additionally, the data helps raise public awareness and drive educational programs on sustainable practices to protect marine ecosystems. 

Cathal Kealey, Head of Marketing and PR at Kia Ireland said they were ‘delighted’ to support this year’s initiative from Clean Coasts.

“Their work is truly inspiring, with many of them out there every weekend, come rain or shine, making a huge difference to Irish beaches, and for that we want to say a huge thank you,” he commented.

Bronagh Moore, An Taisce, Clean Coasts Programme Manager concluded: “This year’s event was the largest yet and is a powerful reminder of the collective impact we can make when we work together. The dedication and support of all of these groups is hugely inspiring, and we thank each and every one of them for their contribution.”