Over 200 groups and more than 5,000 volunteers nationwide have already signed up to join the Big Beach Clean from September 18th to 20th, to remove marine litter from our coast and take part in an international citizen science project.
Over 750 volunteers from county Cork have already registered – however, if you are intending participating, register your own event before the deadline of September 7th!
Last year, an estimated 9.2 tonnes of litter was removed by over 1,500 volunteers in county Cork alone, as part of the Big Beach Clean. This year, organisers want to maximise the positive impact for our coast and inland waterways and encourage beach-lovers nationwide to remove litter and record data on commonly found items.
The annual call-to-action is part of the International Coastal Cleanup (ICC), a global initiative led by Ocean Conservancy to mark the end of the bathing season. In 2025, Big Beach Cleaners were a part of over 630,000 volunteers world-wide that took part in the International Coastal Cleanup.
OVER 60 TONNES REMOVED IN 2025
On a national level over 500 groups registered to host a clean-up in Ireland for the Big Beach Clean 2025, with almost 11,000 volunteers ultimately removing approximately 60 tonnes of litter from our marine environment. This year, organisers want to continue the coastal care efforts and promote citizen science action through filling out the Big Beach Clean Marine Litter Data Cards.
Over 5,000 volunteers nationwide are already set to host a beach clean or join an existing one for 2026 – and you can be a part of that by registering today.
This nationwide event invites individuals, families, and communities to come together, clean their local coastline or waterways, and contribute to this global citizen science effort.
SIGN UP TODAY!
With the deadline for registering for the Big Beach Clean fast approaching, this is a final reminder to volunteers to sign up before 7th September to avail of free a clean-up kit (while stocks last) and make a positive impact on the Irish coast and waterways.
Upon signing up, participants receive all materials needed to run their beach clean and to record litter data using the Clean Coasts Marine Litter Data Cards or the Clean Swell App, which in turn helps contribute to global marine litter research.
The data collected in last year’s Big Beach Clean showed that the five most collected litter items were fishing gear, plastic pieces, microplastics, cigarette butts and food wrappers.
Registrations will close at midnight on the 7th of September. For more information and to register, whether you’re an individual or part of a group, visit cleancoasts.org/our-initiatives/big-beach-clean/
