Wardie Beach in Granton will get a thorough clean up on Saturday 1 April 2017 as part of the Marine Conservation Society’s (MCS) beach clean and litter survey.
The survey aims to highlight the issues of litter on UK beaches.
The last MCS clean-up at Wardie Beach found a total of 35.3kg of rubbish, mainly composed of plastic, rubber, glass and other non-biodegradable materials. MCS surveys have noticed a pattern of increasing amounts of harmful rubbish appearing on beaches in Britain since 1994.
Local Beachwatch organiser, Karen Bates, says that she would like to see more volunteers than ever lend a hand in Granton on the 1st. Bates stated;
”The tide of litter washing up on our shores is not just unpleasant to look at, it can harm and even kill some of our best-loved marine wildlife. Over 170 species including seabirds, turtles and whales have mistaken marine litter for food and actually eaten it, which in many cases has resulted in starvation, poisoning and
ultimately a slow, painful death”.
“We want people to come down to Wardie Beach on the 1st and take part in an event that will not only make the beach look great for visitors, but will also help MCS identify where the litter comes and try to stop it at its source.”
MCS Beachwatch results are vital to turning the tide on litter and have helped influence laws on the disposing of waste at sea, as well as resulting in better sewage treatment. Local beach clean-ups, like the one at Wardie, contribute towards these advances.
The Wardie Beach clean-up will take place on Saturday 1st of April from 12-2.30pm and promises to be a fun and worthwhile occasion.
