Over the past few weeks, a deluge of container spillages along England’s South Coast has left beaches littered with unanticipated food produce and waste, attracting the attention of local residents and environmental agencies. On Tuesday, 13th January, Brighton local, Coral Evans, reported what she described as “hundreds of dust masks, single-use plastic gloves and cans of dried milk” that had surfaced along the seafront. Returning to the beach the following day, she encountered “hundreds of thousands of onions”, dispersed “everywhere”, urging her to post photos on social media and turn on local volunteers to aid with debris clearance.
Regarding the volume of unexpected waste, Brighton and Hove City Council established that the volume of refuse gathered during this clean-up was around four times greater than what would normally be anticipated during this season.
the volume of refuse gathered during this clean-up was around four times greater than what would normally be anticipated during this season.
This incident is not a one-off, with similar encounters being announced across other Southern beaches in England. On January 13th, tins of powdered milk and paper cups were discovered scattered across Seaford Beach, while thousands of bags of chips washed up near Beachy Head in Sussex on the Saturday. Dr Simon Boxall revealed that “it is estimated that 2,200 containers fall off ships into the water each year”, raising concerns for both environmental destruction and maritime safety.
This incident is not a one-off, with similar encounters being announced across other Southern beaches in England.
Environmental specialists warn that missing containers can omit detrimental substances, including herbicides, pesticides and acids, which pose a threat to marine ecosystems and wildlife, breaking food webs, threatening habitats, and provoking widespread death among marine species. Moreover, the dismantled containers drift unseen beneath the water’s surface, disrupting navigation.
As a result of the increasing severity of the issue, this year, the International Maritime Organisation introduced a new legislation requiring shipping companies to report any containers lost at sea. Consequently, as of 1st January, it is a criminal offence not to disclose a missing container, a new law which is aimed at increasing awareness of the situation. Additionally, the IMO have introduced guidelines establishing standards for secure packaging and stowage of cargo.
