20 football sized baubles created out of beach litter have gone up across Dorset at Durslton Castle at Swanage, The Fine Foundation Chesil Beach Centre, Portland, The Steamer Point Local Nature Reserve at Christchurch and Ashley Road in Poole to show support for the local “Litter Free Coast and Sea” campaign this Christmas.
Discarded bottle tops, plastic bags, crisp packets and sweet wrappers collected from Sandbanks and Chesil beach have now been given a new lease of life by local artist Claire Nuttell and students from Arts University College Bournemouth to bring cheer and happiness as unique festive decorations.
Ben Wallbridge, Countryside Ranger at Durlston Castle is “Delighted to support the campaign. Clean beaches and bathing waters are not only safer, they look nicer, they are better for our local wildlife and they are great for the local tourism industry and therefore our local economy.”
Matilda Bark, Coordinator of the Litter Free Coast and Sea Campaign explained that; “Along the Dorset coast we have some of the cleanest beaches and bathing waters in the country. We created the baubles because we wanted to thank beachgoers for helping to keep the beaches clean. It is clear that the majority of people take real pride in our beaches and take their litter home or use the bins where provided. However, the beach litter baubles show that some litter is still finding its way to our beaches.”
Local councils spend thousands of pounds a year litter picking and cleaning beaches for us, a cost which is often passed on to the tax payer. Wouldn’t it be better if we could stop litter getting to the beach in the first place? A simple way that you can help this Christmas is by not pouring your roast dinner cooking fat down the sink.
Why shouldn’t we pour our cooking fats down the sink? Cooking fats may appear harmless in liquid form but when cooled they solidify and can stick to the sides of sewage pipes and clog up drains. During heavy rainfall this can cause an overflow of sewage and sewage related debris into our bathing waters and onto the beach. So this Christmas pour the fat into a pot when liquid, wait for it to solidify and then scrape it into your household or food waste bin.
Why not come and see the baubles yourself at one of the four locations over the festive period. You can show your support for the Litter Free Coast and Sea Campaign and find out other ways you can show your love for the beach at: www.dorsetforyou.com/litter-free-coast
You can also support the campaign on Facebook (search “Litter Free Coast and Sea”) and Twitter (@LitterFreeCoast)
