Final call to register and join Clean Coasts 2026 volunteers in Kildare
Over 200 groups and more than 4,700 volunteers nationwide have already signed up to join the latest iteration of the Big Beach Clean
The final call for Clean Coasts 2026 volunteers in County Kildare has just been released.
The event, which first began back in 2003, will once again see the national trust for Ireland, An Taisce, team up with motoring company Kia Ireland and the Clean Coasts environmental programme in order to clean up coastlines around the country.
Explaining the importance of the annual event, which first began back in 2003, a spokesperson for An Taisce pointed out that an estimated 80 per cent of coastal and marine litter comes from inland activities.
They also asserted that volunteers from non-coastal counties who register to take part in the Big Beach Clean will ‘set a great example that inland clean-ups can be as impactful as those on the coast’.
Speaking further about the event, the spokesperson said: “This year, we want to maximise the positive impact for our coast and inland waterways and encourage beach-lovers nationwide to remove litter and record data on commonly found items.
“The Big Beach Clean is an annual call-to-action as part of the International Coastal Cleanup, a global initiative led by Ocean Conservancy, to mark the end of the bathing season.”
STATISTICS
Moreover, the spokesperson revealed some notable statistics relating to the 2025 Big Beach Clean.
They revealed that Big Beach cleaners were a part of over 630,000 volunteers world-wide that took part in the International Coastal Cleanup.
On top of this finding, the spokesperson said that, on a national level, over 500 groups registered to host a clean-up in Ireland for the Big Beach Clean 2025, with almost 11,000 volunteers ultimately removing approximately 60 tonnes of litter from our marine environment.
“This year, we want to continue the coastal care efforts and promote citizen science action through filling out the [provided] Big Beach Clean Marine Litter Data Cards,” they added.
And as for this year, the spokesperson claimed that more than 200 groups and 4,700 volunteers across Ireland have already signed up to join the latest iteration of the Big Beach Clean.
‘MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER’
Furthermore, Bronagh Moore, An Taisce’s Clean Coasts Manager, expressed her view that it is ‘now more important than ever’ for people to ‘show up’ and play their part in protecting the ocean.
“We encourage everyone, no matter your location, to get involved and record your findings,” Ms Moore asserted. “By working together, we're not only cleaning our beaches and waterways we're showing policy makers and world leaders that protecting our ocean and waterways is a priority for us.”
Registrations for the Big Beach Clean 2026 will close at midnight on Monday, September 7, 2026.
Anyone seeking additional information and / or who wish to register for the event is asked to visit cleancoasts.org.
A map of clean-up events for the weekend can be accessed here.
The upcoming Big Beach Clean will take place from Friday, September 18, 2026 to Sunday, September 20, 2026.