Beach Clean at Littlehampton West Beach: A Community Effort

Kerry Williams
, 17 December 2025
Beach Clean at Littlehampton West Beach: A Community Effort
Beach clean © Archie Taplin

By Polly Kitson

Head of Wilder Communities

On Wednesday 17th December, volunteers and Sussex Wildlife Trust staff came together at Littlehampton West Beach to join efforts in a beach clean. The event was organised to support Arun District Council’s ongoing clean-up efforts after several shipping containers were washed ashore last week. 

Beach litter © Polly Kitson

Teams from across our community—both marine and terrestrial volunteers—rolled up their sleeves to tackle the mess. While the larger pieces of debris have already been removed, the smaller fragments remain scattered along the beach. 

Polystyrene © Polly Kitson

This includes the occasional banana and avocado, and worryingly a large amount of polystyrene and polyurethane. These tiny pieces are arguably more harmful to wildlife, and as these materials breaks down, they becomes even trickier to spot, resembling small pebbles or sea sponges.

A huge thank you to everyone who joined us.

Container litter © Polly Kitson
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