So how does this happen? Studies show that our everyday trash often ends up in inland rivers, which in turn gets carried into the ocean and lands on our beaches via currents. Most of this trash is single-use plastic products, persisting in our environment for a significantly longer time than their product lifespan. 

While part of the solution is to curb our individual plastic use while holding the petrochemical industry accountable, (check out this article on sustainable, viable ways of going plastic-free in your day-to-day), we also need to do something about the trash that has already accumulated on our shores (some which date back all the way to the 1950s). 

Changing lifestyle habits and petitioning for change is important, but can be a long-term process. In the meantime, we can take immediate action to protect our beloved ocean. Here is a guide to how to organise a community beach cleanup, whether on World Cleanup Day or any other time of the year!

When & where

Decide on WHERE and WHEN to go

Any time of the day is okay, but we recommend late afternoons or whenever the tide is low. Check out your local beach or accessible coastal area; or travel further to an area that is more prone to littering or debris washing ashore.

If you’re in Singapore, we recommend checking tide timings with here or here, and location sites here.

Find your crew

Find your cleanup crew

A beach cleanup can be an inclusive activities for team building, orientations and get-togethers. As long as you are active and able to bend down repeatedly, you’re good to go.

If you are trying to organise one for your community, you might want to create a poster or facebook event with all the details and have people sign-up 1 to 2 weeks before the event. You may want to include your meeting point, meeting time, what to bring, who to call, along with what to do should there be bad weather.

What you need

What are some suggested items to have for a beach clean-up?

• Pails/trash bags and tongs/gloves - alternatively, if you’re based in Singapore, you could utilise the CleanPods set-up around the island by the Public Hygiene Council instead of buying a new set of clean-up gear each time. The best part? It is completely free! Not only does this save you money, it also reduces the amount of waste produced. Simply sign up here.

• Water to hydrate yourself

• Hand sanitiser

• Insect repellant/long pants if your area has mosquitoes/sandflies

• Covered shoes

• Sunscreen/hat depending on the time of day

Tips & tricks

Things to do
- Find a spot and start cleaning! But pace yourself. This is not like cleaning your living room; it is often impossible to get every bit of trash on the beach.
- Be careful of sharp items like syringes and razors; or anything that may be a biohazard e.g. used feminine hygiene products, diapers, band-aids, etc.
- Leave organic materials that look like they belong.
- Remove any marine creatures living on debris before disposing of it. 

Things to avoid
- Opening bottles with mystery liquids inside - we recommend throwing them away as is.
- Removing shells and other natural organisms from the beach, which belong there!
- Touching dead sea creatures.  
- Removing footwear during the beach cleanup as there may be sharp items lying around.
- Picking up bricks - leave them as it is as organisms can use them as a substrate for growth.

Share your experience

After the event, you can take part in citizen science by tracking the amount of trash collected and what items you find. Engaging in citizen science helps scientists, governments and non-profits identify hotspots and frequently found items.

If you like using apps, check out the Stridy and Clean Swell® apps.

You can also post pictures of the process and share your experience on social media. This might inspire others to find out more or encourage them to take part in future activities or be inspired to organise one themselves.

Curious to find out more about citizen science? Check out our article here.

Final note - Why participate in beach clean-ups?

If you’re not already convinced, here are more reasons why you should participate in a beach clean-up today. Right now, there is an estimated 5.25 trillion pieces of plastic in the ocean (and counting). While a lot of marine debris is inaccessible as they float around in oceanic gyres or settle on ocean beds, much of this still gets washed ashore. Beach cleanups help remove hazardous debris for marine life while also making the beach a safer and cleaner place to visit for humans too.

Remember, every piece of rubbish picked up means one less piece of trash that could end up in our ocean. Like ripples in a pond, the bigger or more frequent the cleanup project, the larger the impact. Start acting now and inspire the people around you to do the same!