Beach clean up program

We partner with volunteers, schools, businesses and community groups to protect our local beaches and coastal environments from litter and marine debris.

From 2016 to 2021, together we collected 550,000 pieces of litter, over 13 tonnes of rubbish as part of the beach clean up program.

How to get involved

• Whenever you are out in our beautiful environment, please safely pick up any litter you see. Even just one piece can make a difference
• Join in with some of our clean ocean champions below, from on the ground action to sharing information and inspiration through social media, there are so many ways to get involved
• Join in one of council’s regional beach clean up events listed below
• Start your own regular beach clean up for the community to join. For further details and support contact council.

Council event	Date	Details
Schools beach clean up	To be confirmed November 2023	Schools beach clean up is a school based clean up held in November each year to prepare our beaches for the return of the nesting loggerhead turtles. For more details contact coastal and canals. Expressions of interest for schools will open in August 2023.
Clean up for hatchlings	4 February 2023	Clean up for hatchlings is an event held annually in February. We have volunteers and co-ordinators at most beach locations across the Sunshine Coast where turtles have nested over summer. The event aims to remove as much marine debris from our beaches to give our loggerhead turtle hatchlings the safest journey to the ocean possible!
Clean up Australia Day	Sunday 5 March 2023	Clean up Australia Day is held on the first Sunday in March every year. For more information about this event and locations where you can join in on the clean up action contact the clean up Australia website.

For further information about joining a group, please contact one of the many clean ocean champions listed below:

Various locations

• Beach clean ups Sunshine Coast
• Cleanwater group
• Coolum and North Shore coast care
• Conservation Volunteers Australia
• ECOllaboration
• Environmental divers
• Night Eyes water and land care group (southern end of the Sunshine Coast)
• Ocean Crusaders
• Plastic free Sunshine Coast
• Reef check Australia
• SeaFrame Aus
• Sea Shepherd Sunshine Coast
• Surfrider Sunshine Coast
• Ten little pieces.

Specific locations

• Cam Saves the World - Coolum Beach
• Sea Life Sunshine Coast - Mooloolaba Beach and other waterways
• The Good Place - Kawana Beach
• Visionary Ocean Warriors - Golden Beach.

There are so many individuals, schools, groups and businesses helping to keep our Sunshine Coast clean. If you would like your beach clean up added to the above list please contact coastal and canals.