Ever walked along a beach and thought, this looks pretty clean? No plastic bottles, no crisp packets, no carrier bags, just shells and the sand. What happens when you look a little closer?
At Life’s a Beach, we often find that some of the most frustrating litter to deal with is the stuff you barely notice. Tiny bits of plastic scattered across the sand, little fragments of packaging and broken pieces of things that were once much bigger. They’re easy to miss, even when you’re standing right next to them. That’s the problem.
It’s not always the big stuff
When we think about beach litter, we tend to picture the obvious things. Bottles, bags and food packaging. They’re easy to spot and usually easy enough to pick up.
Plastic however doesn’t just disappear when it breaks apart. Over time, the sun, waves and movement of sand can cause it to break into smaller and smaller pieces. These fragments can blend in with the sand, hide amongst shells and seaweed or get buried beneath the surface. Some eventually become microplastics, tiny plastic particles measuring less than five millimetres. Unlike a plastic bottle, which you can spot from several metres away, these little pieces can be incredibly difficult to find, let alone collect.
So, what can we do?
First, we can start by paying attention. Next time you’re on the beach, take a moment to look at what’s beneath your feet. You might be surprised by what you find. If you’re taking part in a litter pick, don’t just look for the big, obvious items. Keep an eye out for smaller fragments, too, and collect them where it’s safe to do so.
More importantly, we need to stop plastic getting there in the first place. Choosing reusable products, disposing of rubbish properly and taking part in litter picks all help reduce the amount of plastic that ends up in our environment. At Life’s a Beach, we’re working to tackle plastic pollution through our litter picks and education projects, helping people understand the problem and what they can do about it.
Sometimes, the litter that matters most is the litter you almost miss.
Want to get involved? Find out more about our work and how you can help by emailing us at hello@lifesabeach.org
