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Join the MDT For The Big Beach Clean
Blackpill Beach Gets A Clean-Up As Local Volunteers Help Turn Tide On Litter
Robin Bonham, Vice Chair and environmental guru at the Mumbles Development Trust coordinated last Weekend's Beach Clean with Mumbles Development Trusts' fellow environmentalist Naomi Trodden and a committed team of rain resistant, battle hardy volunteers.
 
A team of volunteers for Mumbles Development Trust, including members of Soroptimists Swansea, have helped clean 8 bags full of rubbish from Blackpill beach, as part of the Marine Conservation Society's Beachwatch Big Weekend project.
Eight bags full of rubbish from Blackpill Beach
The 12 volunteers braved torrential rain on 17th September to collect and record the rubbish along a 100 metre stretch of beach. The data will help MCS identify the main sources of litter on Blackpill and keep the issue of the dangers of marine litter high on the local agenda.
Naomi Trodden for the Mumbles Development Trust says these beach cleans are vital: “Beach litter isn’t just unsightly, it can also be very dangerous to both humans and wildlife. MCS is working towards ensuring local communities right up to UK governments work together to try and stop littering at source. On Blackpill the main type of litter we found was sewage-related debris – the sort of stuff we put down our loos but shouldn’t, such as - tampons, cotton buds and condoms. The network of sewer pipes is not designed to filter out all of these items. As a consequence, they can end up on our beaches. The simplest solution is to bag it and bin it – don’t flush it! We also found a lot of fishing litter, like fishing line and nets. These are potentially lethal to marine wildlife as they can cause entanglement. Awareness of the issue needs to be raised in the local fishing community, and providing waste reception facilities at ports can offer a sensible alternative, but incentives may need to be introduced before this method is effective.”
A Young Volunteer weighs a bag of beach rubbish
Data from the Beachwatch Big Weekend every September contributes to the International Coastal Cleanup, where beaches all over the world are cleaned on the same weekend in a global effort to tackle marine litter. Over the last 10 years more than 37,000 volunteers have helped in clearing litter from UK beaches, removing tens of thousands of tonnes of rubbish directly from the habitats where it is doing so much harm.
For further information on the protection of our environment please contact Robin Bonham of the Mumbles Green Action Team either by calling 01792 361012 or by e mail mdtmumbles@btinternet.com
Images courtesy of Naomi Trodden
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