Northumbrian Water and the Environment Agency North East are joining forces ahead of World Ocean′s Day to take part in two beach blasts to help keep the region′s coastline pristine.
The event is taking place on Friday, June 8th and will see people from around the world celebrate and collaborate to highlight the global issue of marine litter.
A team of volunteers from the Environment Agency, Northumbrian Water and some of their volunteer Water Rangers are set to tackle any rubbish that has accumulated on the beaches of Saltburn and Whitley Bay, in support of World Ocean′s Day and to help reduce the amount of litter entering the sea.
Northumbrian Water′s Wastewater Director Richard Warneford, said: "The North East coastline is one of the best in the Country and is a wonderful place to visit. We owe it to ourselves to keep our beaches and bathing waters as pristine as we possibly can."
Phil Welton from the Environment Agency in the North East and resident of Whitley Bay, who helped organise both beach clean up events, said: "Plastic not only litters our coastline and is harmful to wildlife, but it can also have a damaging effect on the quality of our bathing waters.
"This year our bathing water samplers across the country are also carrying out surveys on plastic waste on our beaches so we can investigate the scale and nature of the problem so we better understand how to tackle it.
"The North East beaches are a beacon of excellence and we want to keep it that way. We work closely with our partners at Northumbrian Water and local authorities to make continuous improvements. Everyone can play their part - simple things like taking your rubbish home with you or carrying out your own local beach clean can make a huge difference."
As part of Northumbrian Water′s commitment to protecting the environment, they are throwing their weight behind a campaign called ‘Refill′, which encourages people to ditch single use water bottles and use a refillable bottle instead.
Refill is all about reducing the amount of plastic waste that is produced in the North East, helping to protect the environment and encouraging people to drink Northumbrian Water′s clean, clear and great tasting tap water.
To find out more about World Ocean′s Day visit >> www.worldoceansday.org/
For more information about ‘Refill′ please visit >> www.refill.org.uk/ or download the App, and to find out about Northumbrian Water′s award-winning Water Rangers community initiative >> www.nwl.co.uk/your-home/environment/water-rangers.aspx