Small and large, young and old, and even the four-legged have participated in one or more of the beach clean-ups organized by Race for Oceans at eight different beaches in Jammerbugt and Hjørring municipalities from week 28 to week 31.

– There have been many different nationalities involved in the beach clean-ups, and it has been incredibly positive to experience the participants' interest and engagement, says Signe Simonsen, adding that many families have used the event as an activity they could share together.

– We have had several participants for whom the beach clean-up has been part of their holiday stay on the west coast – including a German family who rented a summer house for three weeks in Saltum. They have bought long tongs, and every day they go to the beach to collect trash, partly because they appreciate the beautiful and stunning beaches we have in Denmark, and partly because it is a good way for the children to learn about nature while also getting exercise, says Signe Simonsen, adding that nice coastal stretches are increasingly a competitive parameter in attracting tourists.

Few know about plastic pellets

In addition to waste that is visible to the eye, the beach clean-ups have focused on the so-called plastic pellets, which are raw materials used in the production of plastic products and are found in large quantities on the beaches and in the sea.

– 99 percent of the participants do not know what plastic pellets are, and they wonder how they ended up there. When we explain that they are remnants from shipping or production over more than 60 years, and they can see for themselves how much plastic is on the beaches, the extent of the challenge becomes clear to them, says Signe Simonsen, who has been confirmed that events like these are important.

– Knowledge is crucial and can hopefully help consumers start reflecting on their behavior, so we become better at repairing things instead of throwing them away, buying and supporting locally, investing in products with a long lifespan, and generally reducing consumption, says Signe Simonsen.

Race for Oceans hopes that it will be possible to repeat the beach clean-ups, as they have – despite a capricious Danish summer – been a success, says Signe Simonsen.

– This is an event where there is an opportunity for presence and good conversations. I have seen small children running up with a plastic pellet they found to hand it to me before going off to search for another one. Generally, we have met many sweet and incredibly engaged children, and their approach makes me happy, as they are the generation that will have to tackle the challenge of increasing plastic pollution when it comes to clean-up, says Signe Simonsen.

FACTS

Even though the European Parliament has passed a law banning single-use plastic products such as plates, cutlery, straws, and cotton swabs from 2021, plastic continues to flow in our seas.

According to the European Parliament's Research Service, there are 150 million tons of plastic in the world's oceans. Furthermore, it is estimated that between 4.8 and 12.7 million tons of plastic continue to end up in the oceans each year. This has significant consequences for the animals living in the seas, which risk getting entangled in pieces of plastic or ingesting it, and thus ending up in the bodies of humans.

Additionally, the EU Commission estimated last year that between 52 and 184 tons of plastic pellets are lost to nature annually in the EU through production and transport. (source: https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/IP_23_4984).