A THIRTEEN-HOUR beach clean in the Bude area will benefit a pioneering project, which will see 100% of the plastic collected sorted at recycling plants.

The ‘Dawn ’til Dusk’ beach clean marathon will cover seven lifeguarded beaches along a ten mile stretch of Cornish coastline on Sunday, September 11.

The event is hosted by The Plastic Movement, an organisation founded by five Bude lifeguards, which aims to end the use of single use plastics through direct action and creative solutions.

The lifeguards spend a combined total of more than 1,500 hours every week on the tideline, so say they see the ‘enormity’ of the plastic pollution problem.

They said after a record summer for plastic pollution on British beaches, they decided to take action, and formed the community organisation The Plastic Movement.

Everyone is encouraged to turn up, sign up and pick up at the ‘Dawn ‘til Dusk’ beach clean to experience the impact of plastic pollution first-hand.

Jim Scown, one of the five founding members of The Plastic Movement, said: “It’s great to clean the beaches and vitally important to remove the plastic litter from the marine ecosystem. However, real, lasting progress is incredibly difficult if the majority of people remain unaware of the problem. This is why we hope a massive turnout for the’ Dawn ’til Dusk’ beach clean will not only help clean up the beaches, but will also raise awareness about the seriousness of the plastic pollution problem we are facing.

“We are delighted to announce a pioneering project, the first of its kind in the UK on such a scale, where 100% of the plastic collected will be sorted for recycling at recycling plants. This is a vitally important step in the battle to rid the oceans of plastic pollution. If we can remove plastic from the marine ecosystem and then, instead of sending it to landfill, recycle and reuse it, we can begin to cut down on the amount of single use plastic in circulation. This, in turn, further reduces the amount of new single use plastic entering the ocean at source.”

The volunteers at The Plastic Movement won’t be cleaning alone. Dedicated teams of volunteers already clean the beaches at Crackington Haven (The Cracky Crew), Widemouth (Widemouth Taskforce) and Crooklets (Beachcare). All have pledged their full support for the event.

Bude is also the home of Martin Dorey, the founder of The 2 Minute Beach Clean. His initiative, where members of the public spend two minutes of their day picking up litter on the beach, has spread far and wide. Two-minute-beach-cleaners can now be found all around the UK and beyond, even as far away as Israel.

The Plastic Movement’s ‘Dawn ’til Dusk’ beach clean forms part of the build-up to the ‘The Bude Wave Conference’. Hosted by Bude Cleaner Seas Project, the conference on Thursday, September 15 will be an opportunity for leading scientists, environmentalists and professionals to come together to formulate plans to protect the oceans, wildlife and beaches.

The ‘Dawn ’til Dusk’ beach clean will be taking place on Sunday, September 11, and teams of plastic pickers will meet from 6am at Crackington Haven, from 8am at Widemouth Lifeguard Tower, from noon at Bude Surf Lifesaving Club, Crooklets Beach, from 3pm at Northcott Mouth, and from 5pm at Sandymouth Cafe. It will then be back to the Surf Lifesaving Club on Crooklets for a thank you barbecue from 7pm onwards.

Everyone is welcome to turn up, sign up and pick up on the day, for as little or as long as they like. Volunteer organisers will be meeting all who attend, signing them in to the event and providing pick up tools, gloves and support.

Further information on The Plastic Movement can be found at www.facebook.com/theplasticmovement