Almost 23 tonnes of litter were collected by volunteers across Ireland as part of World Ocean Day this month.
Over 4,000 people took part in 230 clean-up events led by Clean Coasts Ireland.
The global initiative took place in more than 140 countries and aims to highlight the important role the ocean has for our life and the planet.
Richard Curtin is the Clean Coasts Officer for Dublin where 3-point-5 tonnes of rubbish was lifted from beaches and streams.
He says the message of taking your litter home is starting to have an impact:
"There's more and more engagement around it. We've seen the IBAL (Irish Business Against Litter) results and they actually show a reduction in black spots recorded across Ireland. So we are seeing positive results. And we're moving in the right direction in some aspects".
All the clean-ups that took place for #WorldOceanDay contributed to protecting our wildlife. Another way to celebrate wildlife on our coast is to capture all its beauty & submit your best shot for our #LoveYourCoast photography competition: https://t.co/LCJefYZ0l6 #CleanCoasts pic.twitter.com/PxHO9Pgkco
— Clean Coasts (@CleanCoasts) June 14, 2022
