Over 145 tonnes of coastal waste cleared from West Sussex shoreline
Multi-agency clean-up continues as teams remove debris from cargo ship incidents off the coast
Over 145 tonnes of waste washed ashore along the West Sussex coastline in recent weeks has now been collected and safely disposed of.
The large-scale clean-up operation is ongoing, targeting debris that entered the sea following incidents involving cargo ships off the coast in December and January.
Recovered materials include organic matter, metals, plastics and fragments of shipping containers.
The response is being led and coordinated by West Sussex County Council in partnership with Arun District Council and Chichester District Council, alongside specialist contractors and environmental partners.
Ambipar’s waste recovery teams are carrying out detailed clean-up activities using a combination of hand litter-picking and specialist vacuum equipment to remove smaller plastic and foam particles.
Over the weekend, significant sections of foam debris were removed from Medmerry Nature Reserve, west of Selsey Bill, with permission from the RSPB. Further work is underway to clear remaining fragments from the area.
Meanwhile, AR Banks continues the complex task of recovering container debris along the coast. This involves surveying affected areas and planning detailed logistics before safely removing large container sections.