Thousands of M&S staff to take part in beach clean-up
Marks & Spencer is to hold its annual Big Beach Clean-up next month when it will tackle litter on 95 UK beaches and 45 canals including locations that were hit by the recent storms.
Working in partnership with the Marine Conservation Society and the Canal & River Trust, the retailer will run this year’s clean-up from 24 to 30 April with thousands of volunteers – including M&S customers, employees and Marine Conservation Society volunteers – expected to take part.
The target is to improve on last year’s haul of 30 tonnes of litter which is the equivalent weight of two double decker buses.
This year, the Marine Conservation Society will also use the clean-up to assess the impact of this year’s storms on beach litter and debris. Locations such as Eastney, Exmouth, Chesil Cove and Hayle Towans, which were all battered by the extreme weather, will be cleaned and surveyed by the volunteers.
Never Miss a Retail Update!Last year over 9,000 people, including 4,000 M&S employees, volunteered and collected 4,000 bin bags full of litter after cleaning over 300km of beaches and canals.
Sacha Berendji, director of retail at Marks & Spencer, said: “Our Big Beach Clean-up 2013 exceeded all expectations and made a significant impact on local communities. This year our beaches and canals, and in turn our marine life, need us and our army of volunteers more than ever before. It’s a fun, outdoor activity and I’m confident we can go one step further and surpass last year’s litter haul. And, as an incentive, there’s a £5 money-off voucher for every customer that gets involved.”
