REGISTRATION for the Big Beach Clean to close out the Irish bathing season is now open, writes Jackie Keogh.

Registration will close on September 7th for the event which will take place from September 18th to 20th. So far more than 750 volunteers from county Cork are signed up and ready to join the clean Coasts national event.

The annual Big Beach Clean Up is a call to action as part of the International Coastal Cleanup – a global initiative led by Ocean Conservancy to mark the end of the bathing season.

Last year, over 500 groups registered to host a clean-up nationwide, with almost 11,000 volunteers ultimately removing over 60 tonnes of litter from our marine environment.

Across Cork an estimated 9.2 tonnes of litter was removed by 1,500 volunteers.

This year, the event organisers want to continue the coastal care efforts and promote citizen science action through the filling out of Big Beach Clean Marine Litter Data Cards.

These surveys help to record the quantity and types of litter found, raise awareness about marine pollution, and highlight the scale of the issue.

On a global scale, the data, when shared with Ocean Conservancy, has driven policy changes worldwide, including the banning of certain plastic items like bags and straws or the implementation of laws to prohibit smoking on beaches.

This year’s Big Beach Clean is supported by Kia Ireland, who are sponsoring free clean-up kits for those who register to join the beach cleaning movement.

On registering participants will receive materials needed to run their beach clean and record litter data (while stocks last). To find out more or to register visit www.cleancoasts.org/our-initiatives/big-beach-clean.