What spoils a day at the beach? Bad weather, forgetting your swimsuit or sand in your picnic all put a dampener on a day at the beach. But so does beach litter.
Rubbish left behind or washed up on the beach spoils the view and also poses a danger. Sharp cans, smashed glass and fishing hooks partially buried in the pebbles and sand can cut feet and paws. Marine wildlife can also become tangled in discarded rope and twine and ingest plastic.
Beach cleans at St Bees
Impromptu litter picks and regular organised beach cleans help to keep St Bees beach tidy and safe for everyone. This is thanks to volunteers from St Bees Litter Champions and the monthly beach cleans run by St Bees Parish Council.
Each month volunteers borrow litter pickers, bag hoops and gloves to clear dropped and washed-up rubbish from the pebbles and sand. Most of the beach litter is plastic. Small plastic fragments are washed up among the seaweed at the high tide mark, but lucky beach cleaners sometimes find a toy soldier or Smarties lid among the litter.
Since March 2021 visitors to St Bees seafront have also been able to do their own mini beach clean thanks to the 2 Minute Beach Clean Station on the side of the beach toilets. Each day litter pickers and bags are available to borrow from the beach clean station, helping to encourage everyone to keep St Bees seafront tidy.
Great British Spring Clean
The next organised beach clean at St Bees is part of the Great British Spring Clean. Keep Britain Tidy encourages individuals and groups to clean up their local environment each year as part of this national event.
Join in the beach clean at St Bees on Sunday March 17th, meeting at 11.30am at the beach clean station.
Look out for details of future litter picks or why not ask St Bees Parish Council if you can borrow equipment for your own beach clean?
Sustainable St Bees 