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An Ode to the Esk collects 25 bags of litter

28 January 2025

We joined forces with the Scottish Seabird Centre and Scottish Coastal Clean-up on Saturday 25 January for a collaborative event to survey along the Esk’s estuary and remove litter from the banks of the river and Musselburgh beach.

The event was part of our Upstream Battle® campaign to stop litter’s journey from source to sea. Twenty-five volunteers worked hard to collect 25 bags of litter, 15 tires, three traffic cones and part of a melted wheely bin – weighing an astonishing 253.8kg in total! 

Alongside the usual littered items such as cans, confectionary wrappers and plastic bottles there were also some unusual finds along the way including an unlit tealight and a plastic marker cone that you might usually find in a PE lesson!

Fiona Gallie, our Campaigns & Interventions Officer, said: “Although we had to postpone the morning events due to the aftermath of Storm Eowyn, we were delighted to still be able to collaborate with the Scottish Seabird Centre and Scottish Coastal Clean-up for the afternoon clean-up. Thank you to Emma Marriott and Kerrie Flockhart for helping make it happen and to all the dedicated volunteers on the day.

“We also managed to collect five Upstream Battle litter surveys, this data will help to highlight the litter problem areas across Scotland, which will hopefully inform future policy to stop litter’s journey from Source to Sea.”

Emma Marriott, Conservation Officer at Scottish Seabird Centre, added: “Despite the stormy weather of the day before, it was fantastic to see so many volunteers braving the cold on Saturday to help clean up Musselburgh’s coastline where it meets the River Esk.

“It was uplifting to have so many different groups and members of the community supporting each other and working together so passionately towards a shared cause, and the huge amount of litter and data that we collected highlights just what we can achieve when we come together. We look forward to doing even more in the future!”

If you want to support work to reduce litter in and around Musselburgh, preventing litter entering the sea, you could:

  • Complete a litter survey along the River Esk.
  • Participate in a local litter pick. (Keep an eye on our Facebook and Instagram for future events)

Our award-winning Upstream Battle campaign is funded by The Scottish Government's Marine Fund Scotland.

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