Cabin Hill NNR, Formby gets a clean up as local volunteers help turn the tide on litter

A team of local Marine Conservation Society (MCS) volunteers have helped clean over 45 bags of rubbish from Cabin Hill NNR, Formby on Monday 20 th of January. The event was part of the charity’s Beachwatch project.

Led by from Andy Laverick, the 11 volunteers collected and recorded the rubbish found along a 200 metre plus stretch of beach. The data will help MCS identify the main sources of litter on Cabin Hill NNR, Formby and keep the issue of the dangers of marine litter high on the local agenda.

The event was supported by Barry Smith from Natural England who help out and provided a 4x4 and trailer.

The beach litter survey recorded a staggering 252 kg of waste; this includes 1417 separate items of plastic. The top 3 finds from this event are shown below:

• Packets: Crisp / sweet / lolly (inc sticks) / sandwich 327

• Plastic / polystyrene pieces: 0 - 2.5 cm 317

• Caps / Lids 185

We had a number of unusual finds at this event such as:

• Rusty Wheel

• Marker Buoy

• Exercise weights

• Traffic cones

• Plastic garden chair

Thanks must go to everyone who volunteered at the event and Barry Smith from Natural England Andy Laverick says these beaches clean are vital: “Beach litter isn’t just unsightly; it can also be very dangerous to both humans and wildlife. MCS is working towards ensuring local communities right up to UK governments work together to try and stop littering at source.

The next event is on February 25 th 2020 at National Trust Formby, Victoria Road If you would like to get involved in future events, then please contact greatbritishbeachcleanformby@yahoo.com or follow us on twitter @FormbyMarine