MORE than 18 kilograms of beach waste have been collected from a three-mile stretch of the Essex coastline.

Conservationists Kai Willis and Rebecca Bright, who are both 20, made Clacton the second stop on their beach clean campaign, which aims to tackle plastic pollution along beaches.

A total of 11 volunteers rolled up their sleeves to take part in the community clean-up, which aimed to remove waste left across three miles of the coastline.

All the equipment needed was provided by Surfers Against Sewage, which helped volunteers to collect 11 sacks of waste, with the most common items being cigarette butts and plastic bottles.

The organisers, who co-founded the London-based Giving to Conserve, took away the rubbish to their homes where they spent more than three hours sorting out what could be recycled.

The duo said: “Luckily, we were able to recycle a huge amount of litter, such as tin cans, plastic bottles, glass bottles and various paper and card items.

“Unfortunately, a large percentage of the waste couldn’t be recycled, highlighting the need to move away from single-use plastics to more sustainable, eco-friendly materials.

“Our data revealed that the most common brand found was Coca-Cola, showing the importance of putting pressure on large manufacturers to alter their materials used.”

The national campaign started off in Southend and the two conservationists are hoping to clean up at least five more coastlines around the country.

They added: “Despite the success of the clean, this is a stark reminder of the high levels of pollution on our beaches.

“Our beach clean proved that events like these are not a waste of time or boring, but instead are fun community-based initiatives where everyone can get involved and achieve something to be proud of.”

If you want to take part in upcoming campaigns, visit givingtoconserve.com.