More than 40 volunteers have joined forces to collect over 20kg of harmful plastic from the Carmarthenshire coastline.
The beach clean organised by Coleg Sir Gâr’s Green 24 project was held at Cefn Sidan, Pembrey Country Park, as part of Carmarthenshire County Council’s wider sustainability event, Green Warrior Day.
Looking at the Blue Flag awarded beach, you would be under the impression that there is hardly any rubbish on the eight-mile stretch of soft sand. But in a mere 200-metre radius, a shockingly vast number of washed-up litter items were collected by volunteers.
The waste collected included an estimated 100 metres of fishing ropes, 30 soda cans, plastic pellets, crisp packets, hairbrushes, and even a discarded inflatable Santa Claus.
Sadly, the level of litter on Welsh shores exceeds what we can see, so Green24 also arranged for the environmental consultants at Oracle Environmental Experts to use state-of-the-art technology to remove microplastics and macroplastics from the beach.
Specialist recovery and sorting equipment including vacuum units, sieves, and trommels, were used to demonstrate how this tiny, but incredibly environmentally damaging, plastic waste can be recovered and then sent off to be turned into low-carbon energy.
Jemma Parsons, Head of Green Skills Academy at Coleg Sir Gâr, spoke about the positive impact of the work Green 24 has carried out so far, saying:
“Green 24 is proud join Green Warrior Day and to share knowledge and best practice that can help people and organisations develop green skills and become net zero. Through this beach clean-up, along with future engagement activities and training sessions across the county, we hope to empower communities with hands-on experience that will help make a positive impact on our environment, in Carmarthenshire and beyond.”
The Green 24 initiative aims to demystify the subject of sustainability and share greener living and working practises to anyone with the desire to reduce their carbon footprint and impact on the environment.
Enabling people to think global and act local, Green 24 is delivered through events, community outreach activities, training and qualifications that can be accessed by both individuals and employers seeking to become net zero.
The beach clean was just one of a host of activities organised as part of Green Warrior Day, which saw environmental organisations from across Wales come together to inspire and educate future generations, through a variety of engaging talks, demonstrations, and interactive workshops.
Jon Burton, managing director at Oracle Environmental Experts said: “We joined Green24 at Green Warrior Day to help raise awareness of the of the threat posed by plastic pollution. We have been working on similar projects over the past four years, and it is clear that doing nothing is simply not an option anymore.
“The planet is telling us that things aren’t right, and the reality is that we have finite resources, and these must be managed carefully to ensure a future for the next generation. Initiatives like Green 24 are so important when it comes to engaging the local community and encouraging action in the fight against climate change.”
