We spoke to the beach cleaning team in North Tyneside to find out how they will help to clear away litter from our coastline.
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With the summer season kicking off, thousands of people are expected to hit the beach to enjoy our stunning coastline.
But with this comes an increase in littering, with vast amounts of rubbish being left along our beaches, especially when the weather is good.
So how do the authorities help to keep the seaside spick and span?
We met North Tyneside Council’s beach cleaning team to find out what happens behind the scenes in the summer.
Marcus Jackson, environmental services team leader, explained that a beach cleaning machine with a Surf Rake is used to clear away rubbish from Tynemouth Longsands and Cullercoats beaches every morning from Monday to Friday.
When the weather is good and a large number of visitors are expected, it is also brought out at weekends. Operators can be out as early as 4am to clean the sand before people start to arrive.
All the rubbish raked in is dropped into a skip and taken to the tip.
In addition, staff manually clear away waste with litter pickers seven days a week. Their job also involves continuously emptying bins on the beach during the day, keeping promenades, access stairs and ramps clean, and strimming grass edges where needed.
However natural or marine materials, which are not contaminated, such as sea weed, are put back into the sea at designated locations or used on the front of sand dunes, helping to trap the wind or act as fertilisers.
Meanwhile, Whitley Bay beach and King Edward’s Bay are being cleaned manually. Access for the tractor is difficult at King Edward’s Bay and the beach condition at Whitley Bay, which currently has more stones and rocks, can damage the machine. However the vehicle can be used there, without the rake, to remove large items such as nets, fallen trees or timber.
Elsewhere, the small beaches near St Mary’s Island, Prior’s Haven and North Shields Fish Quay are also part of the cleaning regime.
Mr Jackson says the amount of rubbish collected varies each day and depends on the weather and the number of visitors. Litter picking staff can on average fill up 10 or 12 bags in a day from Tynemouth Longsands but this can rise to 60 if the sun is out and the beach is packed.
He added: “We find everything from plastics, paper, clothing, glass, cans, bottles and cigarette butts to nappies and even sanitary products.
“After the tide comes in, we also get marine litter such as fishing nets and lobster pots.
“Our teams are out every day clearing the litter, emptying bins, carrying out general maintenance and keeping an eye on things.
“If the weather is good at a weekend and it has been really busy, we bring out the tractor first thing in the morning before people start to arrive again. We have to do it when there are fewer people around.”
The team will be working alongside beach wardens, who help to enforce littering, dog fouling and anti-social behaviour laws as well as trying to educate people about the regulations.
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