VOLUNTEERS cleared 200kgs of rubbish from the Isle of Wight's beaches — in a ten-hour clean-up.

The event was the idea of Planet Aware’s Sarah Marshall who wanted to undertake a beach cleaning challenge along a large section of the Island’s south coast.

She chose the areas because some of the beaches have few access point, so it can be difficult to remove any rubbish that collects there.

The clean-up had to be organised around the tides and the rubbish had to be carried a considerable distance to be disposed of.

The beach clean started at Watershoot Bay near Niton where 100 kgs was removed.

Next was an area between Shepherds Chine and Grange Farm. A total of 201.5kgs was removed.

The group also raised money for WasteAid, a charity for communities with no formal waste infrastructure.

Sarah said: “We are lucky on the IW to have a strong beach cleaning community, but it is only possible because we have a waste management infrastructure that can remove the rubbish we collect.

“Three billion people do not have access to safe waste management and so their rubbish piles up in open dumps and is either burnt, or is washed in huge amounts into rivers and into the sea.

"If we help these communities, we can have more of an impact on marine plastic pollution.

All donations made via Planet Aware before the end of July will be match funded by UK Aid.

Donate at justgiving.com/fundraising/planet-aware-wasteaid or in person at Lesley’s Nutshell in Ventnor or Ventnor Post Office.

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