"Hippy crack" canisters have been found scattered on one busy Merseyside beach
Canisters containing the substance, otherwise known as laughing gas, were amongst the rubbish recovered by people on West Kirby beach over the weekend. Local residents came together on Saturday (September 17) to collect hundreds of pieces of litter dumped on the sand as part of the Great British Beach Clean.
Nearly 40 residents armed with litter pickers descended on the beach as part of the annual campaign run by the Marine Conservation Society. The West Kirby event was organised by local residents in conjunction with Oceans Plastic Free, a sustainable toilet and kitchen roll brand.
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The aim of the campaign, which runs until September 25, is to get the public up and down the UK to come together to help to clean the beaches and protect the wildlife who rely on having safe habitats clean. Volunteers both young and old took part in the local event, where they recorded any litter picked up per 100 metres.
This year, West Kirby residents found more than 750 pieces of litter over the three hour cleaning event, up from the 2021 average of 385 items. Last year, the MCS reported that 75% of all the litter collected on our beaches was plastic.
This figure is expected to rise this year as recent research shows that 14 million tonnes of plastic is making its into our oceans every year.
In response to these grim statitsics, West Kirby resident Lara Harding, was inspired to spearhead this year’s event. She said: “It’s amazing to see so many people volunteer and dedicate their time to cleaning the beach today, because it shows there are good people out there who care about marine life and the importance of protecting our environment.
“It’s important we keep our beaches clean to protect the habitats of the sea creatures and ensure a healthy environment for the generation to come.”
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