The Great British Beach Clean - September 2025!

How clean is your beach?

The British are a nation of great traditions - and our beaches offer no exception. Families sheltering behind windbreaks, piping hot doughnuts, undignified barefoot walks across pebble beaches, overly competitive dads building enormous sandcastles and for the discerning modern day beach goer - paddle boarding. The reality for several of Britain’s beaches is very different. Lurking under pebbles are syringes and broken glass. Plastic doughnut packaging bounces across the foreshore. The paddleboards glide over a heady mixture of sewage and other toxic waste.

Some of these problems are outside of the control of the everyday beachgoer. But most are not. The Great British Beach Clean, held during the third week of September - is an annual event organised by the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) that brings together thousands of volunteers to clean up beaches across the UK. This week-long initiative not only helps to remove litter from the coastlines but also contributes to important scientific research by collecting data on the types and amounts of litter found. The event aims to raise awareness about the impact of marine pollution, encourage sustainable practices, and protect the UK’s beautiful beaches and marine life.

Beach cleans are planned across the British Isles, from Sussex to Cornwall, Pembrokeshire to East Lothian. You can join one of the organised beach cleans or organise your own. See Beach Cleaning Guides & Resources | Marine Conservation Society for more details.