Opening of litter-free beaches in Noordwijk

Yesterday, the first two MyBeach beaches were opened in the municipality of Noordwijk. This initiative by the North Sea Foundation (Stichting de Noordzee) means that the beachgoers of MyBeach keep the beach litter-free. To achieve this, eye-catching bins have been placed on the beach and smokers can get a handy little ashtray to dispose of their ash and cigarette butts. The pavilions Take2 and Buitengewoon have adopted the MyBeaches and will also encourage their visitors to keep the beaches clean.

The idea seems very obvious, yet we all still leave far too much rubbish behind on our beaches. Despite an intensive cleaning policy, there are on average 400 pieces of litter per 100 metres of beach! Plastic waste in particular is a major culprit, ranging from fishing nets to packaging from ice creams or drinks. Plastic does not decompose and therefore remains drifting in the sea and on beaches for a long time. It breaks down into small pieces, causing marine animals to mistake it for food. Worldwide, over one million marine animals suffocate or become entangled in litter. Of course, we want to prevent this! The North Sea Foundation has therefore been promoting regulations around ship waste for years and has now launched the MyBeach project to reduce the amount of litter on beaches that ultimately often ends up in the sea.

Recycling Netwerk fully supports MyBeach. The approach to litter is falling short, including on the beach. Everyone wants to lie on a beautiful and clean beach, but we also have to contribute to that ourselves. In addition to the responsibility of citizens and municipalities for this important task, Recycling Netwerk has been advocating for years for an expansion of producer responsibility in the approach to litter. Concretely, the organisation is committed to introducing a deposit on small plastic bottles and a ban on free plastic bags in the Netherlands.

The goal of the North Sea Foundation is to make the entire Dutch coast a MyBeach by 2020. But for now, the first two MyBeaches can be found at Pavilion Take2 (Koningin Astrid Boulevard 101 – exit 1) and Pavilion Buitengewoon (Zeereep 103 – exit 21) in the municipality of Noordwijk.