Community Clean Up Hub
We’re excited to partner with Keep Scotland Beautiful on the Community Clean-up Hub here at the Scottish Seabird Centre! We want to try and make sure that anyone who wants to help people and wildlife by cleaning up the coastline can access the kit that they need.
Keep Scotland Beautiful are an environmental charity, with a vision for a clean, green, sustainable Scotland. We’re excited to be joining their network of Community Clean-up Hubs, so that anyone living in North Berwick or visiting the area can borrow the kit that they need to carryout a clean-up individually or with a group.
How do I access the clean-up kit?
We will always do our best to make sure that you can access the clean-up equipment you need, when you need it. Send an email to conservationprojects@seabird.org or phone the Centre on 01620 890202 to arrange to collect equipment. You can also pop into the Scottish Seabird Centre during opening hours, and chat to a member of our team.
What’s in the clean-up kit?
- A litter picker
- A bag for the litter you find
- Gloves
- A reflective tabard
What do you need?
- Appropriate clothing for the weather outside
After you’ve finished your beach-clean, please bring your kit and the litter you’ve collected back to the Scottish Seabird Centre. We’ll clean the kit ready to be used again and dispose of the litter, recycling it where possible.
Why are clean-ups important?
Marine litter is the most visible source of marine pollution. Examples include waste from beach users, sewage-related debris, medical waste, shipping debris and discarded fishing lines, nets or gear. There’s also a growing problem with plastic in our marine environment, including items like discarded drink bottles, cotton buds and carrier bags.
The IPBES Global Assessment provides a stark reminder of this with its assessment that marine plastics have increased tenfold over the last 20 years, and are impacting on 267 species, including 44% of seabirds. Marine litter in all forms can find its way into the nests of our seabirds, be ingested by seabirds or marine mammals, and can cause harm by entangling them.
Unfortunately, marine litter isn’t the only threat to the marine environment. Learn more about the other factors putting marine habitats and species at risk here.
