Tregonhawke Beach looked clean. Then volunteers filled six bags

From the top of the cliff path, there was nothing to see. Tregonhawke Beach in Whitsand Bay looked about as clean as a Cornish beach gets.

Then a small group in hi-vis vests started looking properly.

By the time they had finished, they had filled six large rubble bags with plastic, rope, netting and other fishing-related debris.

Who was on the beach

The clean-up was organised by property management company FirstPort as part of the Marine Conservation Society‘s annual Great British Beach Clean. Associate Director Chris Milne led the Cornwall event last month, with colleagues joined by two residents on the day.

This year’s national event ran from Friday 18 September to Sunday 27 September. It is one of the largest marine citizen science activities of its kind in Britain, and FirstPort invited colleagues and residents from across the country to take part.

“Quite staggering”

Chris said: “At first glance, Tregonhawke Beach looked incredibly clean, but once we started searching more closely, the amount of plastic waste and discarded fishing gear we uncovered was quite staggering.”

The six bags held material that might otherwise have ended up back in the sea.

Chris added: “Filling six large rubble bags from a beach that appeared almost litter-free highlights just how much marine pollution can go unnoticed.

“We were also delighted by the support from residents, with two people joining us on the day to help make a real difference to this beautiful part of the Cornish coastline.”

Counting what they found

Clearing the sand was only half the job. Volunteers also recorded the types of waste found along a designated 100-metre stretch of the beach.

That information goes to the Marine Conservation Society, where it helps build a clearer picture of marine pollution and informs the organisation’s research and campaigning work to protect the UK’s seas and coastlines.

So the next person to look down at Tregonhawke and see nothing but sand has six rubble bags’ worth of reasons to look twice.