By Emilie Borch Lanther
Once a month, be it rain or sunshine, volunteers from Galway Beach Cleaners gather along the county’s coastline to tackle marine litter one piece at a time. After almost three years and 26 completed clean-ups they have picked up an estimated five tonnes of litter from different locations around Galway.
The inspiration behind the beach clean-ups has its roots over 6,000km away in Canada. Originally from Calgary, founder of the group, Riley Kearl, started picking up rubbish along waterways like the Bow River years ago. When he moved to Galway, he brought the passion with him.
“I wanted to continue doing the clean-ups, but I couldn’t find a group that was doing it around here, so I created my own.”
The initiative has received a warm welcome in the community. Since Riley set up the first beach clean-up in January 2024, the volunteer WhatsApp group has grown to more than 170 people. Each month, around 15-20 people show up to help pick up litter near bodies of water in and around Galway City. Sometimes, the group will also venture further out to areas in Connemara and other parts of Co. Galway.
From Climate Anxiety to Collective Action
The monthly gatherings offer much more than just an organised effort to clean up local coastal areas.
“There are three benefits to these clean-ups: you can meet people and socialise, you get outside and exercise, and then help the environment at the same time,” Riley explains.
Although every volunteer has their own reason to get involved, Riley points to one specific factor he sees in the community.
“A lot of people today have climate anxiety and feel like they can’t do anything because it is too big of a problem for any one person to solve.”
The beach clean-ups have become Riley’s way to help people deal with this obstacle.
“Almost anyone can go down, pick up rubbish and put it in a bag. Everything you pick up is making a difference. It helps me with my climate anxiety but helping others with their climate anxiety too is something I really enjoy,” Riley remarks.
Turning the Tide on Pollution
The beach clean-ups help to protect several parts of the local environment including birds, marine life, and plant life. Ocean plastics are known to kill marine animals and birds every year both from ingestion and entanglement. The effects do not end there; marine litter can pollute entire ecosystems and make its way into our own food chains.
“The longer the plastic stays out there, the more it will break down into smaller bits and turn into microplastics which has effects on both the environment and on humans,” Riley explains.
But even though every piece removed by the group is a step in the right direction, other changes are needed to bring an end to marine litter all together.
“Even if we were to do these clean-ups every month forever, we would still never be able to clean up everything that is being washed up. You have to go to the source, which is the plastic producers,” Riley comments.
Nevertheless, Galway Beach Cleaners remain committed to their cause and continue to inspire change in the wider community one clean-up at a time.
“People see us when we are out doing clean-ups, and they often come up and ask what we are doing. They get to see that people care. I think it makes them less likely to litter themselves and sometimes they might even start doing their own mini clean-ups.”
Looking Beyond the Next Clean-Up
Although Galway Beach Cleaners has been a successful set-up so far, leading a volunteer group does not come without its challenges. Working full-time in a marketing job and managing the clean-ups on the side, it is difficult for Riley to find the time to work on areas like applying for funding and sponsorships.
“I do have dreams that we could one day be funded enough to make this my full-time job, and we could work to clean up all the west coast of Ireland. I would love to do that, but the reality is that it’s not that easy,” he explains.
“For now, the goal is just to keep going, keep the monthly clean-ups consistent and grow the volunteer group.”
And for anyone feeling overwhelmed by the environmental challenges we face but unsure how to make a difference, Riley has a simple suggestion.
“Just come to a clean-up, it is the easiest thing you can do. Then if you want to do something more yourself you can always talk ideas with all the other volunteers.”
The next beach clean-up is already scheduled for 28 November, ready to finish 2026 off strong before Galway Beach Cleaners take a well-deserved break in December.
If you would like to learn more about the Galway Beach Cleaners and get involved with the group, you can join their group chat here: https://chat.whatsapp.com/CiFMIlZHMaDIXTJbbe1mgf?mode=gi_t