Beach clean a different Boxing Day activity

The beach clean was organised by the Guernsey Recycling Group, La Societe Guernesiaise and Pick It Up Guernsey and it was the first time that something like this had been arranged for Boxing Day.

‘We’ve had about 40 to 45 people,’ said GRG’s Laura Browning. ‘It’s amazing considering the weather.’

Beach cleans are organised throughout the year, she said, but after the success of this one it was possible that a regular Boxing Day clean-up could be arranged: ‘I think we’ll definitely do it again next year.

‘We thought of doing it around Christmas time because there’s so much waste and single use plastic. And it’s nice to get some fresh air.’

The fresh air was accompanied by some fresh water, too, with a heavy rain shower during the clean-up.

But collectors carried on regardless, including a family who filled up three carrier bags with plastic and other rubbish.

‘Most of it was on the headland rather than the beach,’ said Richard Johns, who was with daughters Izzie, 10 and Maisie, 8.

‘There are bits of old boats,’ said Izzie.

Dylan White, 13, was visiting the island and had joined Laura Harrison and her daughter Sophie, 6, to help clean up Rousse.

He said he had done similar beach cleans in Brighton: ‘This one is a lot cleaner.’

Mrs Harrison said she and Sophie had also helped with a Rousse clean-up in the summer: ‘We were picking up more then.’

She said that what they had found was mostly small pieces of plastic, including forks.

Ms Browning said that it was the small bits of plastic that could do most harm since they could be swallowed by wildlife.