Railway waste warriors thrash the trash on Brighton Beach

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Thameslink and Southern railway staff swapped rolling stock for rubbish bags when they cleaned a section of Brighton beach as part of The Great British Beach Clean.

The team of 41 volunteers blitzed a 100m stretch behind the iconic i360 to collect 345 pieces of litter weighing 10.5kg, two-thirds of it plastic. They were supported by community-conscious supporters including Councillor Joy Robinson from Brighton & Hove City Council and the Southeast Community Rail Partnership.

Everything collected was also catalogued. This gives the Marine Conservation Society, which organises the 10-day national event, an invaluable insight into what is polluting the sea, enabling it to campaign for positive change to protect the ocean. The society has already helped implement plastic bag charges, better wet wipe labelling, and supporting a tax on single-use plastic items.

Jason Brooker, Head of Environment at Govia Thameslink Railway which runs the two train firms, said: “Many of our stations are in locations with beautiful beaches, and it’s really important we support our communities to help keep them looking that way.

“Sixty per cent of the rubbish that washes up on our beaches is plastic which is catastrophic to wildlife. Not only is it unsightly, but nets and fishing tackle tie up marine animals, and as the plastic breaks down into smaller pieces it enters the food chain and that affects us.”

Lizzie Price, Beachwatch Manager at The Marine Conservation Society, said: "The Great British Beach Clean depends on the support of volunteers and we’re delighted that Govia Thameslink staff are taking part. The beach litter data collected during these clean-ups are invaluable in shaping scientific understanding and driving the changes needed to protect our precious marine life."

The Marine Conservation Society’s annual Great British Beach Clean runs until 29 September. Anyone can sign up to carry out their own beach clean by following this link: www.mcsuk.org.

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About The Great British Beach Clean

The programme is one of the largest marine citizen science activities of its kind in the UK. Volunteers taking part are not only clearing our beaches of litter, but helping the Marine Conservation Society, the UK’s leading ocean membership charity, gather vital data to create change for cleaner and healthier seas.

Last year, 5,416 volunteers conducted 428 beach cleans over 10 days, surveying 64,139 metres of coastline. A total of 129,391 pieces of litter were collected, filling 1,426 bags and weighing 7,476 kg.

Plastic still remains the most common form of beach pollution – highlighting the urgent need for further action to tackle the single-use plastic problem such as charges, bans and deposit return schemes.

For more media information about the Marine Conservation Society and its Great British Beach Clean 2024, click here: https://www.mcsuk.org/documents/1780/GBBC_media_briefing_-_launch_2024.docx