Do you love being beside the seaside? We do, too! That’s why we refuse to use ingredients linked to marine harm in our ocean-friendly sunscreens and donate to the incredible work of the Marine Conservation Society.
Thanks to your eco-conscious sun cream choices, we've raised over £140,000 for this sea-championing cause. But we know that making a difference goes deeper than donations. We love to donate our time for beach cleans, too!
In this post, we share our best beach clean-up tips, which you can use to improve a beach near you.
How to volunteer for a beach clean
Being a beach clean volunteer is extremely rewarding and requires very little prep. Lots of beach cleans take place around the UK coastline all year round.
If you're based in Sussex, you can sign up to participate in our Brighton Beach clean. For those further afield, you can visit the Marine Conservation Society and find your nearest beach clean.
You don’t usually need litter pickers or plastic bags, as the event organisers should provide these.
However, it can be chilly by the coast, so you might want to pack a warm jumper, a light rain jacket, or gloves. It is also very thirsty work, so bring a reusable water bottle and that all-important SPF.
Marine-safe and kind to your skin, our best-selling Scent Free Sun Cream SPF30 is the perfect choice for your beach clean day out! Plus, we give 20p to the Marine Conservation Society for every bottle sold.
Scent Free Sun Cream SPF30 200ml
Protect sensitive skin naturally with our best-selling SPF30 sun cream
£32.50
See all ocean-friendly sunscreens.
How to organise a beach clean
Organising your beach clean? Follow these quick and easy steps
- CONTACT THE COUNCIL: They can check that your beach cleaning doesn’t clash with any beach events. They can guide you through where to dispose of the litter that you collect and may also be able to loan you some picking equipment.
- START ADVERTISING: Use social media to advertise your beach clean, including important information such as the meeting point, time, date and location. It is also a good idea to give attendees an idea of how long the beach clean will be. We recommend starting with an hour-long beach clean, focusing on one stretch of the coastline.
TOP TIP: Check the tide times before you choose your time!
- GATHER YOUR EQUIPMENT: Staying safe when picking up unknown items from the shoreline is important. Pack plenty of little pickers, gloves, bin bags and a first aid kit (just in case you need it!).
- PREPARE A BRIEFING: Once everyone arrives at the beach clean, brief your attendees on how to do it safely, giving clear advice on what counts as litter and how to avoid picking up hazardous items such as syringes or chemicals.
3 top tips for beach clean beginners
We have regularly participated in the Marine Conservation Society’s Great British Beach Clean. Here are our top tips for beach clean beginners.
LOOK CLOSER
At first glance you may think the beach is clean and there is no rubbish, but look closer, and you’ll find bottle tops, small pieces of fishing wire, broken plastic, straws and lollipop sticks. These can easily be picked up by wildlife, so it is important to get them off the sand or pebbles.
RECORD WHAT YOU FIND
Help change the tide of ocean waste by logging what you find and sharing the data. This simple act of citizen science helps the Marine Conservation Society track the causes of ocean pollution, and they may even use your data for their State of the Nation’s Beach Report.
Published annually, these important reports highlight the threats facing our seas and shorelines and have helped influence positive changes in environmental policies, such as the UK charge on plastic bags.
HAVE FUN
Whichever beach you clean, make sure you have fun - you’ll feel great for doing something so important!
3 more ways to help UK beaches
TAKE YOUR LITTER HOME
Straws, disposable cutlery, food packaging and water bottles are commonly spotted littering UK beaches. When you visit the beach, leave nothing but footprints by disposing of litter and always taking all your belongings home with you.
WATCH THE WET WIPES
Too many wet wipes are working their way through the sewage systems and littering shorelines. Make the switch to cleanser or face wash, and if you do use wet wipes, never flush them; dispose of them in the bin instead.
RECYCLE AND REUSE
By reducing and reusing, you’re helping to reduce the risk of rubbish entering our seas.
Ocean-friendly sunscreen
If you are planning to take a dip in the sea after your beach clean, make sure you are wearing an ocean-friendly sunscreen.
Made without ingredients such as Oxybenzone, Octinoxate and Octocrylene, which have been linked to reef damage, our natural and organic sun creams are the perfect choice for those who care about our seas and shorelines.
Browse all Green People sunscreens.
We hope you are feeling inspired to go out and join a beach clean! For more help finding the best reef-safe sunscreen for your skin, head over to our sun care routine finder. You can also contact our friendly UK customer care team on 01403 740350 or @GreenPeopleUK.
Reviewed by:
This blog post has been reviewed by Charlotte Vøhtz, founder of Green People, who has 25+ years of experience in the natural and organic beauty industry. A recognised leader in the field of organic beauty, Charlotte helped inform the UK's first organic beauty standards and was voted the People’s Choice in the 2023 list of Who’s Who in Natural Beauty. A published author, she wrote the organic beauty bible ‘Naturally Gorgeous’. Previously, she qualified as a nurse and spent over 10 years working in pharmaceuticals
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