Whether you have chosen to go vegan or vegetarian, or to adopt a zero waste lifestyle, it is no secret that many of us are learning more about how our individual choices are affecting the environment.
One of the many issues that we will have to tackle as a generation is rubbish. As a consumption-fuelled society, we often throw away or litter tonnes of rubbish per day, and many of this ends up in our oceans and consequently on our beaches. The most worrying part of this is that this rubbish will most likely take hundreds and thousands of years to degrade, and as a consequence, will release harmful greenhouse emissions and pollutants into our delicate ecosystems.
This is why many are taking the effort to help clean up their natural habitats and local environments. Devon and Cornwall are famed for their idyllic coastline – popular spots for staycationers in the summer months. In order to preserve their beauty, we need to do more about tackling the amount of litter on their beaches. So, without further ado, we have collated together some top tips for helping to clean up beaches.
Organisations like The National Trust, Surfers against Sewage and the Marine Conservation Society rely on groups of volunteers to help make a significant impact on local beaches. It’s always a rewarding feeling when you give back and help your local community, and by taking the time just once a month, or more if you have time, to help pick up some pesky litter can really make a positive change. What’s more, this gives you a great opportunity to meet new people and make new friends.
Get your whole family involved
If you are looking for a new family activity and you want to educate your children about the importance of the environment, why not get the whole family involved when doing a beach clean? You could turn this into a reward system where whoever picks up the most litter gets a prize, or on a nice day, you can bring a picnic and your swimming gear for a bite to eat and a dip after.
Recycle or upcycle the goods you find
You may be wondering, what exactly should you do with the pieces that you find after cleaning up the beach? It is likely that you will come across a variety of bits and bobs – from plastic bottles to food packaging, seaglass and even car parts! It is likely that a majority of these pieces can be recycled, which is why you should take it to your local recycling centre to give it away.
Here at Devon Contract Waste, we pride ourselves on being able to provide a range of recycling services for a myriad of materials. So, if you are fresh from a beach clean up – don’t be afraid to contact one of our branches today.