Waterford groups help remove almost 60 tonnes of rubbish from sea

People from Waterford contributed towards removing an esitimated 60 tonnes of rubbish from Ireland's seas over the weekend. 

More than 560 volunteers from over 30 groups removed an estimated 3.4 tonnes of marine litter from Waterford's beaches, with clean-ups taking place in multiple locations across the county.

Coiste Maisithe na Rinne - Ring Peninsula Community Group took to the beaches of the Waterford Gaeltacht - the Cunnigar, Poll a’ Phúca, Ballinagoul and Helvick - keeping them clean and tidy for all to enjoy.

Tramore Tidy Towns combined their annual Vitamin Sea Festival with a Big Beach Clean at Tramore Beach on Sunday, 21st with volunteers coming out in force to keep Tramore clean.

Multiple bags of litter were removed, along with larger items such as a wooden pallet.

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Nationally, thousands of volunteers came together for An Taisce’s Clean Coasts Programme’s Annual Big Beach Clean.

Over 520 clean-ups with almost 11,000 volunteers took place nationwide, ultimately removing over 60 tonnes - the equivalent of nine elephants worth - of litter from Irelands coastal and inland waterways.

The Big Beach Clean 2025 illustrated the incredible efforts and commitment of volunteers across Ireland in caring for our marine environment.

The initiative was supported by Kia Ireland, who provided clean-ups kits and supplies to the thousands of volunteers.

Reports suggest that approximately 80% of marine litter comes from land-based activities and litter dropped in towns and cities.

In 2024, the top three items recorded during the Big Beach Clean weekend were fishing related waste, cigarette butts, and plastic pieces.

Clean Coasts’ Big Beach Clean is an annual call to action that runs as part of the International Coastal Cleanup (ICC), operated internationally by Ocean Conservancy.

 The 2025 Irish Businesses Against Litter (IBAL) marine litter report indicated a 50% increase in the number of beaches and inland waterways achieving a ‘clean’ rating.

The report credits this significant improvement to the dedicated work of Clean Coasts groups and local volunteers.

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“Recent surveys show that our beaches are becoming cleaner and that’s in no small part down to the dedicated volunteers who clean our beaches, waterways, towns and villages throughout the year. Together we are making a tangible difference in keeping our beaches clean and in protecting our marine life. We thank each and every one of them for their contribution as well as the local councils that support them. We would encourage everyone to stay involved and keep active in their local Clean Coasts Group and in their communities,” Bronagh Moore, An Taisce, Clean Coasts Programme Manager said.

The 2025 survey also identified cigarette butts, sweet wrappers, and fast-food packaging as the most frequently encountered litter items across surveyed areas.