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The Marine Conservation Society (MCS) is calling on people across the UK to take part in this year’s Great British Beach Clean.
The annual citizen science event will run from 18-27 September, with volunteers recording every item of litter found along 100-metre stretches of coastline while removing rubbish from beaches.
Ahead of the event, the charity has published letters, poems and artwork submitted as part of its ‘Post to our Coast’ initiative, in which contributors were invited to begin their messages with the words ‘Dear Future Ocean’.
Many of the submissions focused on marine litter and pollution, with one contributor writing: ‘I don’t want my children to live in a dead world, I want them to see the diversity, the colour, the brilliance that I see whenever I step foot on your edges.
‘If we all do a small bit, every bottle collected from a beach and recycled is another bottle that isn’t going to poison you. And if we all did that, collected a bottle? 8 billion bottles will make a difference.’
Young people attending Leeds community craft organisation Stitch-Up CIC shared the simple message: ‘Litter doesn’t belong in the ocean,’ and created images highlighting how marine life can be endangered by ocean litter and pollution.
The Marine Conservation Society has run beach litter surveys for more than 30 years. During last year’s Great British Beach Clean, volunteers collected and recorded more than 600,000 pieces of rubbish.
The charity’s latest State of our Beaches report found an average of 14 pieces of litter for every metre of beach surveyed.
Around one-third of the charity’s annual beach litter data comes from the Great British Beach Clean. The information collected has previously supported campaigns to reduce marine litter, including measures targeting single-use plastic items such as straws and wet wipes.
The charity also hopes this year’s survey will provide further evidence on drinks-related litter before Deposit Return Schemes are introduced across the UK in October 2026.
‘The messages people have sent to the future ocean are incredibly powerful,’ said Lizzie Price, Beachwatch Manager at the Marine Conservation Society. ‘They show how deeply people care about the sea and how much they fear for the world that future generations will inherit.
‘But concern on its own isn’t enough. The future of our ocean is shaped by the decisions we make today – and everyone has a role to play.
‘The Great British Beach Clean is a simple way for people to turn their hopes into action. By spending a few hours cleaning and surveying a beach, volunteers are not only removing litter but creating the evidence we need to push for lasting change.’
The Marine Conservation Society has run litter surveys for more than 30 years, and this year holidaycottages.co.uk is a supporting sponsor of the Great British Beach Clean.
‘We’re incredibly proud to be sponsoring the Marine Conservation Society’s annual Great British Beach Clean,’ said Kieran Keohane, Head of Sustainability at holidaycottages.co.uk.
‘With over half of our cottages located by the coast and coastal bookings comprising 57 per cent of all bookings last year, we’re naturally passionate about protecting UK coastlines, and we want to do our bit by shining a spotlight on the need for collective action.’
To find and join a beach clean near you, or organise your own event, head to www.mcsuk.org/join-a-beach-clean
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