Media Release

03 May 2016

 

Coca-Cola Clean Coast Week 2016

Enjoy your beach, enjoy your beach clean!

6th – 15th May 2016

A call for new recruits to join the Island of Ireland’s Largest Coastal Clean Up

Almost 3,000 volunteers took to beaches around the country during Coca-Cola Clean Coast Week 2015 to remove a staggering 10 tonnes of marine litre from the coastline.

With a target to remove a further 11 tonnes from Irish beaches this year, Coca-Cola Clean Coast Week 2016 runs from 6 – 15th May and is calling on volunteers across the country to once again get involved in the numerous coastal clean-ups and events taking place throughout the week.

With the theme, ‘Enjoy Your Beach, Enjoy Your Beach Clean’, the 2016 awareness week is run by the Environmental Education Unit of An Taisce in partnership with Coca-Cola and Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful. Over 120 beach cleans are planned alongside more than 20 coastal celebration events across island of Ireland in celebration of the beautiful natural resource of the coastline and to raise awareness of the importance of keeping beaches clean from litter.

The United Nation Environmental Programme (UNEP) estimates that 8 million individual litter items enter the marine environment every day. Marine litter includes a range of materials which have been deliberately discarded, or accidentally lost on shore or at sea. It includes materials that are carried out to sea from land, rivers, drainage, sewerage systems and even by the wind.

Coca-Cola Clean Coast Week 2016 will host a range of fun and informative events with the aim of raising awareness of the importance of protecting our coastline. Coastal celebrations will range from beach fitness activities that incorporate clean-ups, to a seal release in partnership Seal Rescue Ireland at Morriscastle in Wexford, and talks on the role of marram grass planting in halting coastal erosion. Other events include National #2MinuteBeachClean Day, the launch of Love Your Coast photography competition, and Beat the Microbead Day.

In keeping with the theme, an inaugural open-air cinema event will also take place at Sandymount Strand in partnership with Happenings. The summer classic ‘Jaws’ will air at 9.30pm. The event will further raise awareness of the many ways communities can and should enjoy their coastline across the country. More information is available via the Happenings Facebook page.

Speaking about the initiative Minister for the Environment Alan Kelly said: I am delighted to be associated with an Taisce’s coastal initiatives such as Clean Coasts.   This Trojan effort, participated in by so many dedicated volunteers, harnesses the pride and ownership that individuals have for their shared maritime amenity. It provides an opportunity for people to empower themselves to protect and enhance their valued resource – to act as current custodians of a precious entity for the generations to come. It also helps to raise awareness of the broad environmental harm that litter causes and how important is to reduce, reuse and recycle to prevent litter from being generated in the first place.

Speaking at the launch Micheal John O’Mahony, An Taisce said: We are expecting more than 100 beaches to be cleaned by thousands of volunteers during Coca-Cola Clean Coasts Week. Every piece of litter removed whether as part of a large beach clean or a #2MinuteBeachClean is one less item that will pollute our oceans or be ingested by marine life. .”

Ciara Cashen, Public Affairs & Communications Manager, Coca-Cola HBC Ireland said, “We are very pleased to support Clean Coast Week once again this year, supporting the many fun and awareness-generating events taking place around the country.  

“As a global company, Coca-Cola has proud sustainability credentials and it is a source of great pride for us that Coca-Cola HBC recently topped the Dow Jones World and Europe Sustainability Indices in the beverage category for a 2nd consecutive year. Our local business makes an important contribution to these results, with ambitious 2020 targets to reduce our impact on the environment, focussing on water, waste and energy usage. We are pleased that we are on track to deliver against our commitments, with some already achieved ahead of schedule.

“Our partnership with Clean Coast is a further demonstration of our commitment to sustainability, and I would like to take the opportunity to encourage all community groups across the country to get involved in their local events and clean-ups, supporting the important goal of keeping our marine environment litter-free.”

While all events throughout Coca-Cola Clean Coast Week 2016 are free, some are ticketed; people are encouraged to check out the website for more details. www.cleancoasts.org.

 

ENDS

 

Clean Coasts Week Events

Event Location Date Details
Marram Grass Planting Day Inchnadoney, Cork

Portmarnock, Dublin

Cruit Island

6th May Meeting pace TBC. Sand dunes act as natural buffers to the forces of the ocean and worth protecting. They are our one of our natural coastal defence mechanisms and protect the land behind the dune area whether agricultural or housing areas. They are also an important habitat for coastal flora and fauna.

If you would like to get involved in a Marram Grass Planting Project please email us on cleancoasts@eeu.antaisce.org or call us on 01 40022210

All Corners Clean Dublin

Blennerville

Fanore

Maharees

Other Locations to be confirmed

Saturday 7th May All corners covered, all corners clean!

 

Large clean ups are happening all along with coast in cooperation with Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful.

If you would like to get involved please email us on cleancoasts@eeu.antaisce.org

Love Your Coast Photography Competition Launch Nationwide 9th May Clean Coasts Love Your Coast Photography Competition will be launched on May 9th.

 

For more information see cleancoasts.org or email cleancoasts@eeu.antaisce.org

Seaweed Talk Brother Hubbard, Dublin City 10th May @7pm On Monday May 9th of Coca Cola Clean Coast week the Clean Coast team will run a seaweed evening in Brother Hubbarbs on Capel Street Dublin 7. This intimate event will highlight the benefits and potential of seaweed in our food and cosmetics. The evening will feature speakers spreading their knowledge about how they use seaweed in their business. The event will run from 6.30-8.30pm. Spaces are limited so ensure to book in advance to avoid disappointment.
Open Air Cinema

 

‘Jaws’ Screening

 

 

Sandymount Beach

 

 

 

12th May @ nightfall

 

 

 

Clean Coasts are delighted to be screening ‘Jaws’ as part of Clean Coasts Week.

 

We would like to engage the public with this special screening at this remarkable coastal location. Information on marine litter and Clean Coasts will kick start the event.

 

This will be a leave no trace event organised in conjunction with Happenings.

 

https://www.facebook.com/events/1015788285176399/

 

Beat the Microbead Day Nationwide 11th May Clean Coasts will be holding their annual Beat the Microbead Day on May 11th. Microbeads are tiny particles of plastic are ingredients in thousands of personal care products sold around the world. These microbeads, hardly visible to the naked eye, flow straight from the bathroom drain into the sewage system. Wastewater treatment plants are not designed to filter out microbeads and so they end up in our oceans. Sea creatures absorb or eat microbeads. These microbeads are passed along the marine food chain. Since humans are ultimately at the top of this food chain, it is likely that we are also absorbing microbeads from the food we eat. Microbeads are not biodegradable and once they enter the marine environment, they are impossible to remove.

 

Mick Mackey Lunchtime Talk Museum of Archaeology, Dublin 12th May @ 1pm Mick is a Marine Biologist that graduated from the Institue of Antarctic & Southern Ocean Studies (Tasmania) in 1995. As a part of his studies, Mick travelled to Antarctica studying the productivity of sea ice algae during the southern winter. Mick went on to spend a further three months with Australian Antarctic Division participating in a landmark marine mammal survey of the Southern Ocean. He then travelled to Europe in 1996 where he worked at University College Cork (UCC) researching marine mammal strandings, the bycatch of marine mammals in a variety of Irish gillnet fisheries. and the abundance and distribution of cetaceans and seabirds off the Irish west coast. Mick then returned to the Antarctic in 2009, where he worked on Bird Island, South Georgia for the British Antarctic Survey. During his 30 months on Bird Island, Mick researched the summer breeding biolgy of the Antarctic Fur Seals and the winter feeding biology of the Leopard Seals. After spending a winter in Northern Norway photographing the northern lights, Mick is now the Cruise Leader with UCC’s ObSERVE Aerial project that investigates the offshore distribution and abundance of cetacean and seabird populations in Irish territorial waters. Mick is also an experienced photographer that has hosted a number of solo seascape and wildlife photographic exhibitions.

 

Fitness on the Beach Various Locations 13th May Clean Coasts will team up running clubs to organise beach cleans and encourage them to add beach cleans to their training session. We will also provide free yoga classes along the coast on this day. Kite-surfing talks/workshops will be carried out in schools in Wexford. More events will be added to this day as planned.

·       Yoga

o   Inchydoney Beach, Clonakilty

o   Strandhill

o   Skerries

·       Lighthouse Walk

o   Mindfulness walk along the Dingle coast

·       Kite-Surfing Club

o   Wexford

·       Fitness on beach

o   Galway

 

National #2minutebeachclean Day Nationwide 14th May Celebrate by donating 2 minutes of your time to Clean Coasts by doing a 2 minute beach clean! Our aim is to engage as many people as possible in this BIG IMPACT initiative. On May 14th we are asking everyone who goes to the beach whether it’s for a surf, swim or walk to do their very own #2minutebeachclean. Take a snap of the litter collected and post your snap on instagram/twitter/facebook with the tags @cleancoasts #2minutebeachclean. It’s as easy as that and be in with a chance to win a Clean Coasts #2MinuteBeachClean t-shirt!

 

Release of #2minutebeachclean video

Seal Release and Beach Clean Wexford, Morriscastle Strand 15th May This event will be run in partnership with Seal Rescue Ireland. First we will ask attendee to take part in beach clean to ensure the beach is clean and safe for the seal release, then we watch and the seal is released back to it’s natural habitat. Attendees will have the opportunity to speak with Clean Coasts and Seal Rescue to learn about seals, the danger to seals and how we can protect wildlife along our coastline.

 

 

 

Registered Clean Ups to date:

 

Coastcare Group Name County Where is clean-up Date of clean-up Time of Clean up Meeting point
Oceanics Co. Clare Lahinch Beach 06/05/2016 12pm Dive Academy base Lahinch SEAWORLD
Neighbours of Mulroog East Co. Clare Lahinch Beach and the surrounding area 08/05/2016 10.30am West Coast Surf Club Van by Seaworld, Lahinch prom
WISKA Co. Clare Goleen Bay. about 10k South of Kilkee 13/05/2016 6:30pm 6pm in front of St Joseph’s Community College on left on Loop Head road on outskirts of Kilkee

6:30pm at Goleen Bay.

Doonbeg Community Development Ltd. Co. Clare Doughmore Beach, doonbeg TBC TBC TBC
Freagh Coastal Group Co. Clare White Strand Miltown Malbay TBC TBC TBC
Mount Saint Michael Secondary School Co. Cork Owenahincha or the Warren Beach 02/06/2016 10am We will depart from the school
Belgooly Tidy Villages Co. Cork Inchydonnay Beach 06/05/2016 10am – 1pm Inchydonnay Hotel
Cappa Marter Disability Group Co. Cork TBD 07/05/2016 TBD TBD
St. Josephs Girls National School Co. Cork Clonaklity 07/05/2016 TBD TBD
Capel Villa Co. Cork Greenlands Strand, Ballmacoda 07/05/2016 11am Greenlands Strand
Prison Cove Clean Coasts Group Co. Cork Prison Cove 07/05/2016 3pm Prison Cove
Oysterhaven and Nohoval Residents Association Co. Cork Oysterhaven beaches 12/05/2016 7:30pm beach car park
Sutton Dinghy Club CE Project Co. Cork Garnish Beach 07/05/2016 11.00 Garnish beach
Carrigaloe Clean Coast Group Co. Cork Carrigaloe, Cuskinny 07/05/2016 10am Whitepoint Playground
Long Strand Beach Clean Up Co. Cork The Long Strand , Rosscarbery
, Co Cork
08/05/2016 11am At the car park
Carrignafoy Community College Co. Cork White Point, Cobh 09/05/2016 4.00 White Point, Cobh
Blackrock Tidy Towns Co. Cork Warren Beach Rosscarbery 10/05/2016 10.30am Warren Car Park
St Colman’s College Co. Cork Garryvoe or Ardmore 11/05/2016 TBC Beach car park
Glounthaune Tidy Towns Co. Cork Shore line along the walkway 11/05/2016 6.00 Walkway
St. Colmans Community College Co. Cork Roches Point 11/05/2016 9.30 Roches Point
Lehanmore Coastcare Group Co. Cork Cork Estuary beside Glounthaune Village 14/05/2016 10.30 Childrens Playground
Eyeries Tidy Towns Co. Cork Eyeries Seawall and The Strand, Eyeries, Beara , Co. cork 15/05/2016 12 noon The Strand, Eyeries
Ballynamona Clean Coast Group Co. Cork Ballynamona Beach 23/05/2016 9.30 Ballynamona beach
Inchydoney Island Residents Association Co. Cork Inchydoney beaches x 2. Surrounding car parks, beach walk ways, dunes. 28/05/2016 9.30am Outside Inchydoney Island Lodge & Spa hotel
Carrignafoy Community College Co. Cork Cuskinny Beach TBC TBC TBC
St Colmans College Co. Cork Garrylucas, Ardmore, Whiting Bay TBC TBC TBC
Lee River Conservation Group Co. Cork Dutch Man’s Cove TBC TBC TBC
Skibbereen Tidy Towns Co. Cork Tragumna Beach Skibbereen 14/05/2016 10am Car park near beaach
Bunlacky Clean Coasts Group Co. Donegal bunlacky shore 23/04/2016 12.00 bunlacky shore
St. Nicolas Co. Donegal Shore Front 07/05/2016 10.00am Sundial, Shore Front, Buncrana
Bundoran Tidy Towns Co. Donegal Main Beach, Bundoran, Co Donegal 07/05/2016 11am Main Beach car park, Bundoran
Arranmore Crew Co. Donegal Arranmore Island ( 6 Beaches)

Aphort, Screg, lebgarrow, Fallagowan, Chapel Srand, Balacreich

07/05/2016 1pm Community Hall
Glenbeigh Community Council Co. Donegal Carrigart Strand – all sides. 07/05/2016 11am to 1pm At the lamppost on the Island of Roy road.
Keep Cruit Clean Co. Donegal Beaches on Cruit Island and surrounding Cruit/Kincasslagh/Keadue bay area 08/05/2016 12pm Cruit Island Bridge (parking available). Group will split up from there to cover the various areas.
Cósta Glan agus Glas An Fhál Charraigh Co. Donegal Drumnatinny Beach 11/05/2016 5.00 Beach Car Park
West Coast Surf Club Co. Donegal Buncrana shore front 11/05/2016 9am Crana College
Killybegs Tidy Towns Committee Co. Donegal Loughead Shoreline Killybegs 14/05/2016 10 depends on tides Loughhead, Killybegs
Strandhill Clean Coasts Co. Donegal Killyhoey Beach, Dunfanaghy 14/05/2016 10am to noon Car Park
Inver Coastal clean up Co. Donegal Inver Beach 15/05/2016 2pm Inver beach car park
Iasc na Mara Swimming club Co. Donegal From Boatquay to Thrupenny Pool, Bundoran 21/05/2016 12 o clock Thrupenny Pool
Buncrana Tidy Towns Initiative Co. Donegal Shore Front incl Ladies Bay TBC TBC TBC
Costa Glan Co. Donegal Druimnatinney TBC TBC TBC
Raghley Clean coasts Co. Donegal TBC TBC TBC TBC
33 Gortmore Road Co. Dublin Donabate and Portrane Beaches. 07/05/2016 TBC Donabate: Fingal Co Co Car park next to the Waterdside Hotel Car park

If we have enough volunteers: Portrane: next to the Brook Pub

Donabate Beach Buddies Co. Dublin Donabate Beach, North County Dublin 07/05/2016 2pm Fingal County Council Car park next to Waterside Hotel car park
Portmarnock Community Association Co. Dublin Portmarnock Beach 07/05/2016 10am Kiosk on the seafront in Portmarnock
Coill Dubh Malahide Co. Dublin Malahide, Portmarnock TBC TBC TBC
Brooks Hotel Co. Dublin Sandymount Beach TBC TBC TBC
Hampton Cove Resident’s Association Co. Dublin Hampton Cove Beach and The Bower TBC TBC TBC
Rosscarbery Tidy Towns Co. Dublin Coast in the vicinity of Sutton Dinghy Club 09/05/2016 11.30am Sutton Dinghy Club
Cobh Tidy Towns Co. Dublin Balbriggan beach TBC all day Balbriggan beach
Kilmuckridge Tidy Towns Co. exford Morriscastle Beach, Ballynamona Beach 14/05/2016 11am Morriscastle carpark
Aran Islands Business Network / Coop Inis Mor Co. Galway Claddagh Beach, South Park, 15/05/2016 TBC Claddagh Community Hall
Rang 5, Soil na bhForbacha Co. Galway Furbo Beach 28/04/2016 TBC TBC
St. Brendan’s N.S. Co. Galway Mulroog East coastal area 02/05/2016 10am Mulroog East
Garrybreeda Co. Galway Loughrea 04/05/2016 TBC TBC
A Team Co. Galway Streamstown Point/Clifden ecoBeach Campsite 08/05/2016 TBC Clifden ecoBeach Campsite
School Group Co. Galway Ballyloughane Strand 10/05/2016 TBC Holy Trinity National School
St Mary’s Primary School Co. Galway Inis Mor, Aran Islands 11/05/2016 6pm crois I gcill ronain / cross in kilronan
NUIG GMIT Sub Aqua Co. Galway Grattan Beach
Scoil Mhuire Co. Kerry Rossbeigh 27/04/2016 4-6pm Rossbeigh Beach
Fenor National School Co. Kerry Fenit 07/05/2016 11 to 2 Playgound
Carrigart Development Ass. Co. Kerry Lockes Beach, Fenit 22/06/2016 10am St Brendans NS
MFV Emma Lou T450 Co. Kerry beaches around Cahirciveen TBC TBC TBC
Maharees Conservation Co. Kerry Maharees: Brandon Bay,Tralee Bay TBC TBC TBC
Littor Strand CCG Co. Kerry Littor Strand TBC TBC TBC
Derrymore Clean Coasts Group Co. Kerry Derrymore TBC TBC TBC
Northern Trust Clean Coasts Group Co. Limerick Lahinch Beach 10/05/2016 4.00 Lahinch Promenade
Glin Development Tidy Towns Co. Limerick Glin Pier 14/05/2016 11am Gin Town Park
Dive Academy – Scuba Diving School Co. Louth Blackrock, Louth 09/05/2016 10am Lower Car Park, Blackrock village
PayPal Green Team Co. Louth Greenore Co Louth 14/05/2016 11.30am to 1pm Greenore Port
Carlingford Tidy Towns Co. Louth Carlingford TBC TBC TBC
Dunfanaghy Tidy Towns Committee Co. Mayo The beach at Port a’ Chlóidh 06/05/2016 11am At the car park nearest Port a’ Chlóidh beach
Dookinella (Thulis) Residents Association Co. Mayo Dookinella Beach,
Dookinella,
Achill,
Co. Mayo.
08/05/2016 12pm Dookinella Beach
Kilcummin Community Group Co. Mayo Kilcummin Back Strand 14/052016 10.00 Parking area above beach
Claggan Island Clean Coasts Group Co. Mayo Claggan Island 09/05/2016 12 to 4 Claggan strand
Lissadell Coast Care Group Co. Sligo Lissadell Beach 07/05/2016 2pm Coilte carpark at the main beach Lissadell
Skreen Dromard Coastal Care Group Co. Sligo Dunmoran Strand 07/05/2016 0.15 Car Park at Dunmoran Strand
School Group Co. Sligo Rosses point 09/05/2016 12.30 Rosses point
Holy Trinity National School Co. Sligo Strandhill beach 13/05/2016 7pm The Canon, Strandhill beach
Rosses Point Clean Coasts Group Co. Sligo Rosses Point Beach, Sligo 15/05/2016 30 TBC
Seatrials Beachclean Co. Sligo Strandhill 22/05/2016 12.00 Cannon at promenade in Strandhill
St. Cecilia’s School Co. Sligo Rosses Point Beach 14/06/2016 30-40 TBC
Seatrails Beach Cleans Co. Sligo Strandhill / Streedagh / Rosses Point TBC TBC TBC
Fourth Sligo Beavers Co. Sligo Rosses Point TBC TBC TBC
Sligo Fossickers Co. Sligo Now Wild Atlantic Way TBC TBC TBC
Easkey Community Council Limited Co. Sligo. Along the coastline of Easkey and Rathlee. Along the Wild Atlantic Way 15/05/2016 2 to 4 We will meet at Easkey Castle and at Rathlee shoreline.
Claddagh Beach Clean-Up Co. Waterford Kilfarrissey Beach 06/05/2016 11 to 1 Kilfarrissey Beach,
Park Hotel Leisure Centre Co. Waterford Clonea Strand 08/05/2016 10 TBC
Crana College Co. Waterford Tramore 14/05/2016 2pm Lifeguard Hut (at the end of the prom, across from Brooklyn)
Ardmore Clean Coasts Co. Waterford Ardmore Beach TBC TBC TBC
Hook Residents Association Co. Wexford Slade/ Hook peninsula 05/05/2016 TBC Slade harbour
Hooked kitesurfing Co. Wexford Duncannon Beach 13/05/2016 3pm Hooked Kitesurfing Centre
Comhar Dún Chaochain Teo Co. Wexford Rosslare 15/05/2016 11.15am school
Rosslare Strand Tidy Towns Group Co. Wexford Rosslare Strand TBC TBC TBC
Seal Rescue Ireland Co. Wexford Courtown Beach; Dodds Rock Beach TBC TBC TBC
13th Wexford Scouts, Clonard, Wexford Co. Wicklow Currecloe, Wexford 07/05/2016 11am Blackwater for Scouts, Ballinesker for Cubs and Beavers
to Raven point and back through the Woods.
Greystones Coast Care Co. Wicklow Greystones South & North Beaches 10/05/2016 6 to 8pm Car Park beside South Beach
National Sea Life Centre Co. Wicklow Bray Beach 14/05/2016 TBC
Arklow Coastcare Co. Wicklow Ennareilly Beach, Co Wicklow 19/04/2016 TBC Carpark to Ennareilly Beach

 

 

ENDS///////

 

Clean Coasts

Clean Coasts Ireland is owned and operated by the Environmental Education Unit of An Taisce – the National Trust for Ireland. It is funded by the Department of the Environment, Community & Local Government, Coca-Cola and Fáilte Ireland. It has been operating in Ireland for 11 years and engages 437 Clean Coasts groups and thousands of beach users. The Green Coast award is also part of the Clean Coasts programme and is an award for beaches that have excellent water quality but may not have the necessary built infrastructure to be eligible for the Blue Flag award. www.cleancoasts.org

 

 

Clean Coast, Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful

The Clean Coast Programme is operated by Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful and sponsored by Coca-Cola. The Clean Coast supports local people who are passionate about caring for Northern Ireland’s coastline and inland waterways. The Clean Coast Programme is one of the volunteering opportunities delivered through Live Here Love Here. www.keepnorthernirelandbeautiful.org

 

 

Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola HBC Ireland is part of the Coca-Cola Hellenic Group, named by the Dow Jones Sustainability Index as the industry leader amongst beverage companies for a second consecutive year in 2015. Since 2001, it has also listed in the FTSE4Good Index, the London Stock Exchange’s index of companies that meet environmental and social criteria. The company won the award for Green Manufacturer of the Year at the 2015 Green Awards. Investing in the community, minimising environmental impact and ensuring resource sustainability in areas such water, energy and packaging is a key focus for Coca-Cola. Coca-Cola has also invested in an innovative green-tech Combined Heat and Power (CHP) plant at its Irish production facility in Lisburn – the first quad-generation CHP plant in Britain or Ireland.