24 tonnes of rubbish cleared from seafront following busy weekends

More than 24 tonnes of rubbish have been cleared from the beach over the past two weekends by hard-working staff at Brighton & Hove City Council, after soaring temperatures saw thousands flock to the seafront.

Litter, shoes, beach inflatables, children’s toys and even a kayak were left behind by visitors during what has been the seafront’s busiest period of 2025.

The majority of residents and visitors have made use of the seafront bins – or followed council requests to take their rubbish home with them if the nearby bins were full.

However, that has not stopped the seafront from being swamped with discarded rubbish, leaving the council faced with removing mammoth piles of waste.

To avoid similar issues over the summer, the council would now like to remind residents and visitors to do all they can to minimise their impact on the seafront.

Councillor Tim Rowkins, Cabinet member for Net Zero and Environmental Services, said: “Seeing Brighton & Hove seafront buzzing with visitors on a warm summer weekend is a fantastic sight.

“There really is no place quite like our seafront – and as a city that benefits so much from the 11 million visitors we attract each year, we pride ourselves on being a popular destination that welcomes tourists with open arms.

“But part of what makes our city such a great place to visit is keeping our seafront looking its best.

“The beach is well stocked with bins, including 54 that were recently refurbished.

“In previous years we have relied on a single lorry to empty the bins. However, this year, we have two operating the morning shift plus a third during the afternoon shift, as well as crews in vans assigned to help clear side waste that gets left next to full bins.

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“Our teams work incredibly hard to keep our bins from overflowing, but there will be times during a busy weekend when some bins are full. When that happens, we ask that people take their rubbish with them and not pile it up next to the full bins – or worse, leave it on the beach.

“We need everyone who is enjoying our seafront to do their bit and take responsibility for their rubbish.

“Our teams were out early clearing rubbish from the beach on each of the past two weekends – and they will continue to do all they can to keep our city looking its best.

“If everyone took their own rubbish home with them when they can’t find space in a bin, it would not only save the council money – which could be spent on other services – but also reduce the potential for rubbish to end up in the sea and impact our precious local marine environment.”