IFCF Supports The UK’s Biggest Ever Beach Clean

UK charity Surfers Against Sewage has marked the launch of their ‘Million Mile Beach Clean’ with a 50-metre sand drawing of a seal surrounded by plastic on Cayton Bay in Yorkshire.

‘The Million Mile Beach Clean’ is part of a new environmental initiative, the Million Mile Clean, that will be supported over the next three years by the Iceland Foods Charitable Foundation as its lead partner.

The campaign will encourage people to get out locally, on streets, country lanes, in parks and along local waterways to tackle plastic pollution and litter; and aims to reconnect people with their local environment to help their physical and mental wellbeing.

The striking launch image highlights the impacts of plastic pollution on marine wildlife, which the charity aims to tackle this year by inspiring 100,000 people to clean up their local beach, river, street or green space. The result will be one million miles cleared by the end of the year, protecting oceans, beaches and wildlife – and giving Brits a much-needed boost as we emerge from lockdown.

While the initiative will run throughout 2021, the first week of action will take place between the 15th and 23rd of May. Surfers Against Sewage are calling for Clean Leaders across the UK to join the biggest beach clean ever and register to lead a clean during this period.

Richard Walker, IFCF Trustee and Managing Director of Iceland Foods, said: “As a surfer, beach user and business leader, I believe it is imperative that we save our oceans as they are essential for all life on earth. The Million Mile Beach Clean is an opportunity to make a positive impact in reducing the impact of plastic pollution across the UK. I can’t wait to be a part of the biggest community clean up ever.”

Surfers Against Sewage are calling for people across the UK to join the campaign and commit to cleaning up 10 miles of their local beach or neighbourhood. To get involved visit their website here and track your beach cleans via their Strava Club community group. The initiative will last throughout the UN Decade of Ocean Science, delivering a million miles a year, ten million by 2030 and aligning with SAS’s ten-year ambition of ending plastic pollution on UK beaches by 2030.

Sign up to the Million Mile Beach Clean here.