Issue date: 12 December 2025
Statement provided by Arun District Council, Chichester District Council, West Sussex County Council and Ambipar.
Photo credit: Ambipar
The major clean-up operation to recover debris and containers washed ashore between Selsey and Bognor Regis is continuing into the weekend.
The operation is being co-ordinated by West Sussex County Council, Arun District Council, and Chichester District Council, together with environmental specialists Ambipar.
Our joint priorities remain the safety of the public and protecting the environment.
In the past four days, since Monday 8 December, Ambipar teams have carried out extensive shoreline and waste management work. Teams have surveyed around 28 kilometres of beach, using both ground crews and drone technology to identify and assess material washed ashore.
Dedicated waste management and segregation sites have been established to ensure that all recovered material is handled and disposed of safely. The site in Selsey covers the size of around eight tennis courts, while the Bognor Regis site, set up on Thursday 11 December, covers roughly the size of two tennis courts.
Ambipar has been responding to waste reports from the public at all hours since Monday, and all agencies are grateful for the community’s support in helping to identify debris.
To date, collection teams and volunteers have gathered approximately 19,000 litres of bananas, along with one and a half 40-yard skips of plastic and one 40-yard skip of mixed waste. A single 40-yard skip can hold the weekly household waste of around 25 to 30 families, giving a sense of the scale of material being recovered.
Additional 40-yard and 70-yard skips, as well as 20-foot tautliners, have been brought to the sites to support the continuing clean-up operation. More equipment is arriving today, and additional materials are prepared for volunteers who wish to contribute over the weekend.
Ambipar teams will be working at full capacity alongside the councils over the weekend and into next week to maintain progress.
We would like to remind anyone visiting the shoreline that the washed-up containers are not safe to enter or climb into. While some may look amusing or tempting to explore, especially those containing bananas, several are structurally weakened, may shift without warning, and contain broken metal and debris that could cause serious injury. Your safety is our priority, and we want everyone to enjoy the coastline without putting themselves at risk.
The community response from people volunteering to support the work has been incredible and all agencies would like to extend their thanks again for the help so far.
If you would like to volunteer, you are welcome to do so safely. People looking to volunteer can gather and meet officers, who can provide equipment and instructions to help volunteers stay safe, between 9am and 3pm daily at the below locations:
- Bognor Regis: Gloucester Road car park
- Selsey: East Beach car park
Litter picking equipment will be made available (subject to demand) including high-visibility tabards, litter pickers, bin bags and gloves.
Anyone volunteering is asked to please follow the guidance:
- There is no set time limit for volunteering and people are welcome to spend as much time volunteering as they can safely afford.
- Volunteers wishing to help pick litter from the beaches are asked to take waste collected to designated areas for pick up.
- Some equipment will be provided based on demand and availability. Volunteers are welcome to bring their own such equipment to assist.
- We encourage volunteers to follow the direction given from officials on site to ensure their safety, including:
- Be aware of hazards on the beach including sharp materials including metal and plastic that can also be heavy and unstable
- Be aware of and stay away from machinery in use on the beach and around the shoreline
- Be mindful of the tides, currents, tide times and daylight hours and not working longer than it is safe to do so
- Keep well back from the waterline and do not go into the water
- Do not work on your own. Buddy up, work in pairs or small teams
- Wear sensible warm, water-proof and weather-proof clothing and safe, sturdy footwear
- Do not attempt to climb on rocks or other structures, or retrieve materials that could place you in any kind of danger
- Wear gloves and make use of equipment such as litter pickers
- Do not bring young children or pets
- Do not enter cordoned-off areas
- Report any hazards or dangers to Ambipar staff, who will be in branded uniforms
