26 August 2026
By Mary Bermingham
Mary@TheCork.ie
Turn the tide on marine litter by signing up today to receive a free beach clean-up kit and join the worldwide citizen science project to tackle marine litter and protect our coastline, waterways and Ocean.
The annual Clean Coasts Big Beach Clean is back once again to close out the Irish bathing season for 2026. An Taisce’s Clean Coasts Programme is encouraging beach enthusiasts and
litter-pickers from across the country to make a positive impact for our coastline by taking part and registering their beach clean-ups from 11th August. Registrations close 7th September 2026.
Taking place from 18th to 20th September the Big Beach Clean is held annually to mark the end of the summer bathing season, volunteers across the country are asked to join the action to clean litter from their local beaches, waterways and towns, all while contributing to a global effort to combat marine litter.
Become a Citizen Scientist at the Big Beach Clean 2026supported by Kia Ireland. Registrations are now open. Pictured left to right: Bronagh Moore, Clean Coasts Programme Manager, Liadh Kealey, and Cathal Kealey Head of Marketing and PR at Kia Ireland at Rosslare Strand Wexford. Image by Maura Hickey.
The Big Beach Clean 2026 is kindly supported by Kia Ireland, who are sponsoring free clean-up kits for those who register to join the beach cleaning movement.
Last year, in 2025, over 500 groups registered to host a clean-up nationwide, with almost 11,000 volunteers ultimately removing over 60 tonnes of litter from our marine environment. This year, we want to continue the coastal care efforts and promote citizen science action through filling out the Big Beach Clean Marine Litter Data Cards.
The Big Beach Clean is held as part of the International Coastal Cleanup, which is a global beach cleaning action led by Ocean Conservancy. Upon signing up, participants will receive all the equipment they need to conduct a successful beach clean and complete a marine litter survey.
As part of this national call-to-action, Clean Coasts volunteers contribute to a global citizen science initiative by carrying out marine litter surveys on Irish beaches. These surveys help record the quantity and types of litter found, raising awareness about marine pollution and highlighting the scale of the issue. Through filling in the provided Marine Litter Data Cards or using the Clean Swell App, it couldn’t be easier to be a part of a global citizen science action and record litter picking findings.
By participating in the Big Beach Clean and submitting information relating to the volume and types of litter found, participants will help make Ireland’s voice heard on a global scale. The data collected by our volunteers in previous years has informed national Clean Coasts campaigns such as “Bin the Butt” and “Break Up with Plastic”.
On a global level, this data, when shared with Ocean Conservancy, has driven significant policy changes worldwide, including the banning of certain plastic items like bags and straws or the implementation of laws to prohibit smoking on beaches.
Bronagh Moore, An Taisce’s Clean Coasts Manager commented: “The threat to our Ocean has never been greater so it’s hugely important that we continue to show up to help protect it. Thousands of volunteers join us every year for the Big Beach Clean and we’re looking forward to seeing even greater numbers this year. Every piece of litter removed and recorded not only creates a tangible benefit for our Ocean but also helps inform future campaigns both nationally and internationally. Collectively our individual actions during the Big Beach Clean contributes massively to the global protection of our Ocean. Make sure you sign up to be a part of the movement!”
Cathal Kealey, Head of Marketing and PR at Kia Ireland commented, “We are delighted to return for the third consecutive year as sponsor of the Big Beach Clean. Our support will ensure that cleanup kits are distributed to all volunteers that sign up to registered cleanups across the country. On a global level, Kia continues to support The Ocean Cleanup which is an organisation that has stated a long-term objective of removing 90% of floating ocean plastic worldwide by 2040. In addition to using recycled materials in vehicle production, Kia continues to explore pathways for collected plastic waste to be recycled and reused and have recently launched a boot liner accessory which contains 40% recycled ocean plastic. In line with our global cleanup initiatives that are designed to combat ocean pollution, we would urge as many people as possible to register for their local beach clean this September.”
For more information and to register, visit cleancoasts.org/our-initiatives/big-beach-clean/