Just two minutes could help to keep West Cork’s beaches clean

LET’S make 2022 a better year for the beaches in West Cork by making a resolution to take part in a two-minute beach clean every time we visit our beaches.

That is the message from Clean Coasts, the group that organises hundreds of beach clean-ups each year with thousands of volunteers, removing large quantities of marine litter from our coastline.

The two-minute beach clean campaign aims to let people know that they don’t need to commit to a huge New Year’s resolution that they may not be able to sustain to make a difference.

Corkman Mark McCarthy, who was shortlisted in this year’s Ocean Hero awards is also making 2022 a better year for West Cork’s beaches.

‘I am a huge supporter of the two-minute beach clean campaign as I am absolutely mad about the sea and I have been since I was a little boy,’ Mark said.

‘My love for the sea doesn’t stop at playing in it. I like to keep it clean too and pass on a bit of that love I have to the next generation. When we are on the coast or a nature trail, we just take away whatever doesn’t belong there.’

The two-minute beach clean is an easy pledge to make that is flexible, doable and can be built on, as the year moves forward.

‘We have all seen marine litter along Ireland’s coastline. For all the beach lovers out there, the new year is an opportunity to do something about it in just two minutes,’ Mark said. In 2021 2,000 people pledged to do a two-minute beach clean. For 2022, Clean Coasts are calling people around Ireland to visit their website and support the campaign to receive a reusable individual beach clean kit containing a tote bag and gloves.

‘The next time you are out and about along the coast or near a waterway, take two minutes to pick up some litter, share a picture of it on social media, tag Clean Coasts, use the hashtag #2minutebeachclean and dispose of the litter properly,’ Mark said

To sign up to receive your own #2minutebeachclean kit, visit the Clean Coasts website at www.cleancoasts.org.