Mayo volunteers remove over two tonnes of litter in Big Beach Clean

CLOSE to 400 volunteers from County Mayo removed an estimated 2.3 tonnes of litter from the county's towns, villages, coastline and inland waterways during the Big Beach Clean weekend.

In total, an estimated more than 58 tonnes of marine litter was removed during the Big Beach Clean nationally, thanks to the incredible efforts of 9,700 volunteers who rallied from coast to coast for this annual call to action.

In Mayo, 20 locals, including five children and a baby, joined Ballycastle Athletics Club on their local beach in the sunshine. Meanwhile, out on Achill Island, following Féile Dú Éige’s immense haul of 140kg of marine litter collected from Dooega Beach in July, enthusiastic volunteers showed up to collect about 25kg of rubbish on their Big Beach Clean. No major storms since July meant there was less litter - but a clean beach is a great complaint to have!

The three most common litter items removed included fishing related waste, cigarette butts and plastic pieces. This is in line with both EU and international data which regularly includes these items within top 10 recorded items.

The Big Beach Clean 2026 once again showcased the incredible commitment of volunteers across Ireland, both from coastal counties, and those further inland, who are vital in caring for and protecting our marine environments from litter and pollution.

According to the European Environment Agency, approximately 80% of marine litter comes from land-based activities. This means that litter from our inland villages, estates, towns and cities can end up polluting our inland waterways, seas and ocean. Litter can make its way to the coast through way of inland waterways, wind and animal activity.