In just a couple of days, the next MCS Beachwatch Big Weekend will be here!
Now in its 18th year, MCS Beachwatch is a coastal environmental initiative, involving thousands of volunteers who passionately care about their local coastline. The event takes place every year, making it the most influential fight against marine litter in the UK.
The initiative is the only national volunteer beach clean-up and survey in the UK. Over the weekend of 18th and 19th of September 2010, 376 beaches were cleaned by 4,927 people who went to their local beach to make a big difference.
The Beachwatch events give MCS a better picture of just what washes up on our shores and when - plastic still makes up the majority. Plastics pose a great threat to marine wildlife because they can take thousands of years to fully break down.
The data collected is used for the annual MCS Beachwatch Big Weekend report – you can read the 2010 report here.
There are events all over the UK - find a Beachwatch beach in your area.
If you’d like to register for this event or take part in surveys throughout the year, please register now to take part.