Parishes Given Beach Clean Boxes

Wednesday, 15 February 2023 at 10:46

12 conmunity Beach Clean Boxes have been put together and gifted to each of the parishes to promote a cleaner island.

Islanders can get together to help promote cleaner island living by picking up bags, buckets and gloves from their parish halls and tidying up our coastline.

It has been set up to not only clean up our island, but to also to educate islanders about the need to keep our coasts free from microplastics and nurdles -small balls of plastic the size of a lentil.

Sheena Brockie, Plastic Free Jersey, says our beaches have more microplastics and nurdles than ever.

"I've been walking in La Mare the last few days and there's an extraodinary amount of nurdles and microplastics being washed up there, why now more than any other time? I don't know."

Microplastics are broken down pieces of larger plastic and nurdles are pre-production pellets, however, no one in Jersey uses them yet they are still appearing on our shorelines.

Each kit contains bags and buckets to collect the rubbish, gloves, a first aid kit and hand sanitiser to protect hands and a sharps box.

The Co-op Community Fund made a donation to Plastic Free Jersey to give them the ability to create this project.

To celebrate the launch of the Community Beach Clean Boxes, there will be a beach clean at 10 am on Sunday 19 February starting on the beach at La Mare car park in St. Clement.

Closed-toed shoes and suitable clothing is advised and beach clean kits will be provided.