MVS helps rid beauty spot of harmful plastic

A major milestone has been passed in an ambitious project to clear plastic debris from underneath the famous cliffs stretching between Eastbourne and Seaford and to stop it breaking down into small particles and polluting the sea.

Members have transported a large quantity of waste from an inaccessible beach near Beachy Head to Sovereign Harbour for proper disposal.

The MVS responded to a request for help from Norm Penney the founder of environmental group Beachy Head and Seven Sisters Extreme Plastic Objects Removal

Over the past few months Mr Penney and a small team of volunteer helpers have worked hard to collect and bag plastic waste washed up under the cliffs.
Much of it had weathered and started to break down into small particles which would have gone back into and polluted the sea.

The group had collected in excess of 300 bin bags of plastic at one site but found the only way to get it out and to a proper disposal facility was by sea.

East Sussex 1 sailed to the location just west of the Beachy Head lighthouse with a crew of eight on board.
A crew member then took one of ES1’s small dinghies to the beach, towing a long line that was then used to pull batches of the large builders bags to the anchored launch.

Once safely on board the bags were secured and covered in nets for the short trip to Sovereign Harbour where they were removed to a disposal facility.