Beach Cleans help remove 99% of micro plastics

Beach cleans are working… Science

Got to be honest, I was more “I’m coming through you door” than a “I’ll clean up” type of Yoof when it came to sewage and plastic pollution, but a new study has proven picking up beach plastics reduced micro plastic on shore and in coastal water by 99%.

Sky News reported experts from Norce, one of Norway’s largest research organisations, had proven “beach cleans rapidly and dramatically reduce plastic fragments released into the environment, according to the first scientific evidence of its kind.

“Within a year of volunteers removing bottles, bags and other large pieces of plastic from the shore of an island near Bergen, the amount of microplastic on land and in the water fell by 99.5%.

“The scientists believe high levels of UV in sunlight and warm temperatures in shallow water lead to a far more rapid degradation of plastic fragments than had previously been thought possible.

“They say it should motivate a global effort to clean up coasts around the world.

Gunhild Bodtker, senior researcher at Norce, told Sky News: “I was happily surprised because it means the clean-up has efficiently reduced the leakage of microplastic into the sea. And that is really good news.

“Clean up plastic on the shores, clean up all the plastic in the environment. It really makes a difference.”

The bay “acts as a giant funnel, collecting marine plastic swept by ocean currents from as far away as the UK, France and the Netherlands.’

“We found stretches of what the Norce scientists call “plastic soil” – a layer, up to 1m deep, of densely-packed fragments mixed with organic matter.

“The microplastic pieces, which are less than 5mm in size, are likely to have been accumulating in the fjord for the last 50 years. They’re virtually impossible to remove.

“Torgeir Naess, the mayor of Kvam municipality, was part of the year-long clean-up.

“When I used to come here as a little kid in the mid-1970s it was just a few ping pong balls and some bottles,” he said. “You can see now it has increased dramatically.”

“But the new research strongly suggests that all is not lost. As long as large pieces of plastic are regularly removed, the fragments should begin to disappear.

“Plastic waste in deep, cold water could still take centuries to degrade.

“Some of the submerged plastic is ‘ghost gear’ – lost fishing nets and pots that continue to trap and kill marine life.

“The ghost fishing continues to harvest and it’s of no use to anyone,” she said. “It’s also an animal welfare issue – as well as plastic.”

More than 9,000 tonnes of plastic have been cleaned from Norway’s coast since the death of a whale in Bergen six years ago, its stomach stuffed with bags.

“At the same time plastic will come back, but we will keep [levels] down and clean year by year.

So a quick Two Minute Beach Clean down your local, or even just picking up some one walk back up the beach after a surf really does work!

The Wave Project, SUEZ and Cornwall Council wetsuit initiative expands across Cornwall

SUEZ, Cornwall Council and The Wave Project are making waves with their new initiative to give pre-loved wetsuits and neoprene items a second lease of life. After the success of the initial pilot in Newquay and St Erth, The Wave Project announced they are to expand the initiative to include sites in Bude, St Austell, Falmouth and United Downs recycling centre, St Day.

Dedicated bins are in place ready to collect neoprene items which are then taken to The Wave Project’s HQ in Newquay. These items are carefully cleaned and repaired before being sold at affordable prices in the WaveProject shop on Newquay high street. The sales generate money for the charity which delivers an award winning Surf Therapy program for children to improve health, well being, and inclusion as well as specialist education programmes Beach School, intervention programmes like Surf Back to School and the Wave Ranger project for at risk pupils.

Europes biggest repair centre, Bodyline also in Newquay, estimate that 75% of wetsuits are being thrown away when they could be easily and cheaply repaired. ( Article here )

If the wetsuits can not be repaired they are repurposed by Flotsam Flo into saleable products like backpacks and bags for the Surf Therapy Shop.

The collaboration with Suez and Cornwall Council will help in reducing Cornwall’s waste and raise funds to support more young people through surf therapy programmes at The Wave Project.

Chris Lynn, General Manager for SUEZ recycling and recovery UK in Cornwall, said: “Through this collaboration, we are not only helping to reduce waste, but we are also supporting Cornwall’s young people. At SUEZ, as part of our triple bottom line approach, we look for ways our services can enhance the environment and the communities we serve. We are thrilled to have seas-ed the opportunity to work with The Wave Project in their mission to transform lives through surf therapy”.

Joe Taylor, Founder & CEO for The Wave Project, said: “We are super excited to be working on this innovative project with SUEZ and Cornwall Council. It is a great example of partnership working across all three sectors leading to positive benefits for people and planet. We would encourage local surfers to make use of the wetsuit donation bins so we can enable them to be used again by others, reducing tonnes of waste in the process. By working together, we can all make a big difference for our communities, reduce our carbon footprint, and bring the joy of surfing to more people.”

Councillor Carol Mould, Cornwall Portfolio Holder for Neighbourhoods, said “This is a great initiative to support our residents in increasing their recycling, reducing waste and supporting a thriving and sustainable Cornwall. We’re pleased to be able to help The Wave Project and the young people it supports through this new scheme.”