RED Funnel is on the hunt for volunteers to help with the Isle of Wight’s biggest ever coastal clean-up

People are being invited to join ‘Nipper’ the plastic-hating crab on September 22-23 to play a part in removing the plastic and other rubbish from the Island’s spectacular 67 miles of coastline, as part of Isle of Wight Day.

An estimated 335,000 items are found on the Isle of Wight shoreline at any given time and the ferry company is offering exclusive discounted ferry rates for beach-clean volunteers

A campaign has also been launched,'The Problem with Plastic Pollution', to raise awareness of the damage plastic is causing to marine wildlife and why removing it from the coastal environment is so important.

It is estimated that 5,000 plastic items are found per mile of beach in the UK. That means there is an estimated 335,000 plastic items spanning across the Isle of Wight’s coastline.

Jonathan Green, Marketing and Communications Director for Red Funnel, said: “The Isle of Wight is fortunate to have such a spectacular coastline but like anywhere in the UK the impact of plastic and litter is having a major impact on marine wildlife and is making the beaches less attractive to visitors.

"The objective of the campaign is to raise awareness of the problem and encourage as many volunteers as possible to enjoy some fresh sea air and help with the Island’s biggest ever coastal clean-up.”

Volunteers will be provided with everything they need to take part in the event, including gloves and recyclable rubbish bags. All the rubbish collected will be disposed of by the event organisers.

To discover how you can help beat the problem of plastic pollution and register as a volunteer please visit https://www.redfunnel.co.uk/beachclean.