Volunteers tackling litter at one of North Wales’ best beaches found bottles, cigarette buts, fishing line, dog mess and even discarded underwear.
Staff from Harlech Foodservice were joined by members of South Caernarfonshire Soroptimists to clean up a section of Pwllheli’s West Beach as part of the Marine Conservation Society’s annual Beachwatch campaign.
The beach, which attracts large numbers of visitors during the summer, forms part of the Pen Llŷn and Sarnau Special Area of Conservation (SAC), a protected marine area stretching from Nefyn on the north coast of Llŷn to just north of Aberystwyth.
A large amount of rubbish was collected with the finds carefully logged by Pen Llŷn and Sarnau project officers before being placed in orange bags for disposal by Gwynedd Council.
The haul include pieces of plastic, lengths of fishing line, parts of a balloon and several bags of dog poo alongside the more unusual discover of a pair of underpants.
Soroptimists Marjorie Griffin and Sara Williams were saddened to find so much litter on the beach.
“We’ve found a lot of litter on the beach and in the dunes. It’s a pity people don’t respect the beach and their environment,” Marjorie said.
Sara added: “We organise and take part in various fund-raising events locally and join in clean-ups like this from time to time.”
Mel Amor, a contract support manager at Harlech Foodservice head office in Llanystumdwy near Criccieth, helped organise her colleagues participation in the litter pick.
She said: “Fifteen members of staff were on the beach and together, we removed litter, helped protect local wildlife, and did our bit for the environment.”
Also taking part was Harlech Foodservice finance director Mike Clishem who added: “I believe it’s really important for us as a local company to be seen actively supporting our community.
“Participating in projects like this shows that we’re committed to helping wherever we can, improving our local environment, and making a positive difference.
“It’s also encouraging to see others joining in and standing alongside us, strengthening that sense of shared responsibility.”
According to Seren Harris, Marine Project Officer at Cyngor Sir Gwynedd, the beach at Pwllheli has a range of special marine habitats and supports a large number of species.
“We run a large number of projects with local communities to improve the condition of the marine environment and it was brilliant to join in with a beach clean organised by Harlech Foodservice along with the local Soroptimist International group making the environment cleaner and safer for people and wildlife, and playing our part in creating cleaner seas,” said Seren.
The Beachwatch survey has been conducted by the Marine Conservation Society for over 30 years.
“Every September volunteers get out onto coasts to create a beach litter snapshot. The litter survey data we collected at Pwllheli will go into the national database and be used to raise awareness and run campaigns.
“The data is also used to talk to manufacturers and governments to change policies and practices and stop litter from reaching the ocean,” she said.
Established more than 50 years ago Harlech Foodservice is an independent, family-owned business. The company operates from depots in Chester, Aberbargoed, Carmarthen, Telford and its main HQ at Llanystumdwy and works with a wide variety of customers in catering and hospitality, including schools, healthcare, leisure, hotels, restaurants, pubs and cafes.
A proud Welsh business, Harlech Foodservice endeavours to source local Welsh produce wherever possible, not only for its excellent quality and taste, but also to help support local businesses.
