East Suffolk Council is launching a campaign this summer to reduce the amount of litter along the district’s coastline.
Each year East Suffolk attracts more than 12 million visitors to its beaches, with four beaches recently receiving Blue Flag and Seaside Awards, naming them among the best beaches in the country. With this in mind, visitors are being asked to leave nothing behind when visiting the area’s beaches and coastal spaces.
Litter remains a significant challenge as a recent survey found that small plastic items such as plastic wrappers and bottle caps were found on 99.5% of our beaches.
Cllr Sally Noble, East Suffolk’s cabinet member for the Environment, said:
“With summer well underway we’re excited to welcome visitors and our residents to our award-winning beaches, but we’re asking everyone to help us to keep them clean and safe for everyone to enjoy.
“Litter may be seen to be a short-term problem, but it can have a devastating impact on our wildlife with everyday items like crisp packets remaining in the environment for 80 years.
“We’re reminding residents and visitors to remember to collect all your rubbish when you’re leaving the beach and to place it in a bin. If a bin is full, we are asking people not to leave it next to bins but to find an alternative bin.
“Litter is not the only problem. We’re also asking visitors to remember to take all belongings home with them such as buckets and spades or play equipment, which if left could be harmful to wildlife.
“We’d like to thank the community groups and dedicated volunteers who give up their time to help us keep our beaches clean, safe and welcoming for everyone to enjoy. East Suffolk’s Amazing…let’s keep it that way.”
Community groups interested in carrying out litter picks can register their event to borrow equipment and to request the collection of waste online.
The public can report any issues with dog waste or litter bins online.
