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 2023, together we collected 675,000 pieces of litter and over 16 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	6 November 2024	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 2024.
Clean up for hatchlings	Saturday 1 February 2025	Clean up for hatchlings is an event held annually in February. We have volunteers and coordinators 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 2 March 2025	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.
Plastic free July	Sunday 6 July 2025	The Plastic Free July campaign is launched with a Plastic Free Sea Beach Clean Up & EcoFair. This is a community event co-coordinated by Poppy's Ocean Life.  Follow Poppy's Ocean Life to keep up to date.

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

Various locations

• Coolum and North Shore coast care
• Conservation Volunteers Australia
• ECOllaboration
• Environmental divers
• Ocean Crusaders
• Plastic free Sunshine Coast 
• Reef check Australia
• Surfrider Sunshine Coast
• Ten little pieces.

Specific locations

• Cam Saves the World - Coolum Beach
• Night Eyes water and land care group (southern end of the Sunshine Coast)
• Sea Life Sunshine Coast - Mooloolaba Beach and other waterways
• Poppy's Ocean Life - 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.