Help out with a beach clean

National Trust volunteers and staff cleaning Bossington Beach, on the Holnicote Estate, Exmoor National Park, Somerset. — National Trust staff and volunteers cleaning Bossington beach | © National Trust Images/John Millar

We care for around 780 miles of coastline, which provides havens for wildlife as well as beaches for everyone to enjoy. However, rubbish often washes up on our shores. The unusual items found around the country show the sheer scale of the problem but taking part in a beach clean, either in a group or by yourself, can help.

How to get involved in a beach clean

There are volunteer beach cleaning events around the country throughout the year. If you'd like to lend a hand to keep these places special, why not join in?

Woolacombe Beach clean activities, Devon

Silent disco beach cleans at Woolacombe, Devon

Community beach cleans (Porthcurnick), Cornwall

Friends of Poldhu beach clean, Cornwall

Community beach cleans (Pendower), Cornwall

Hemmick beach cleans, Cornwall

Sandilands Great British Beach Clean, Lincolnshire

Do your own beach clean

Take a little time out of your beach day to help keep these places beautiful by doing your own beach clean. Follow these top tips from The Wildlife Trust to stay safe and make the most of your time:

Be prepared; carry gardening gloves with you (or a litter picker if you have one) when you're heading out on a walk in case you spot any litter. They'll protect your hands from anything mucky or sharp. If you don't think you'll come across a bin, bring a bag so you can carry any litter away with you.
Stay safe by staying away from needles and not picking up anything with human waste (like nappies), electrical items, or holding any potentially dangerous chemicals. If you're not sure what it is, don't pick it up. Take extra care when picking up anything sharp.
Report any of the above items, anything you think might be dangerous, or any dumped electrical items or paint to the local council or landowner. If you come across a fly-tipping site, or a dead animal, report it.
Sort your haul; instead of chucking it in a regular bin, you could go one further and separate what you've collected to be recycled. If possible, safety-proof anything you find that could be a danger to wildlife if it ends up in the wrong place further down the line, for example, cutting up six-pack rings or plastic bottle cap rings.
Wash your hands; always make sure you wash your hands properly after picking litter.

Thank you to all our volunteer beach cleaners

Thank you for helping us keep your favourite beaches clean and tidy. We would like to thank all the visitors and volunteers who have done their bit to clear litter from the beaches we love. All your hard work means the coastal places we look after are safer for wildlife and people to visit.

Volunteer holding small fragments of plastic found during The Big Beach Clean at Woolacombe, North Devon | © National Trust Images/Mel Peters

Unusual beach finds

Cleaning up our coastline has never been more important. The list of the most unusual things found on the beaches we care for shows the scope of the challenge, with rubbish coming from as far afield as Canada, Saudi Arabia and the Caribbean.

Some of the items discovered are decades old, including a ‘Claws’ crisp packet from 1976 and a bottle of rum from post-Prohibition America, both found at Formby near Liverpool.

A council bin travelled 70 miles along the River Nene to Blakeney Point, a peaceful coastal spot known for its population of grey seals. And a cargo lost at sea in 1994 means that thousands of pieces of nautical-themed Lego have been arriving on beaches ever since.

Here are just some of the things that have been picked up by beach clean volunteers in recent years: