Young and old, big and small, and even our four-legged friends have taken part in one or more of the beach clean-ups organized by Race for Oceans at eight different beaches in the municipalities of Jammerbugt and Hjørring from week 28 to week 31.

"People of many different nationalities have taken part in the beach cleanups, and it has been incredibly positive to see the participants' interest and commitment," says Signe Simonsen, adding that many families have used the event as an activity they could do together.

"We have had several participants who have made beach cleaning part of their vacation on the west coast—including a German family who rented a summer house for three weeks in Saltum. They bought long tweezers and went to the beach every day to collect trash, partly because they appreciate the beautiful and breathtaking beaches we have in Denmark, and partly because it is a good way for the children to learn about nature while getting some exercise," says Signe Simonsen, adding that attractive coastlines are increasingly becoming a competitive factor in attracting tourists.

Few people know about plastic pellets

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

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

"Knowledge is crucial and will hopefully help consumers start to reflect on their behavior, so that we become better at repairing things instead of throwing them away, buying and supporting local businesses, investing in products with a long lifespan, and generally reducing our consumption," says Signe Simonsen.

Race for Oceans hopes that it will be possible to repeat the beach cleanups, because despite a capricious Danish summer, they have been a success, says Signe Simonsen.

– It's an event that provides an opportunity for interaction and good conversation. I've seen small children come running up with a plastic pellet they've found, hand it to me, and then go off in search of another one. In general, we have met many sweet and incredibly engaged children, and their approach makes me happy, because this is the generation that will have to tackle the challenge of increasing plastic pollution when it comes to cleaning 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 buds from 2021, our oceans continue to be flooded with plastic.

According to the European Parliament 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 every year. This has major consequences for the animals that live in the oceans, which risk becoming entangled in pieces of plastic or eating it, which then ends up in the human body.

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