20 Tonnes of Rubbish Cleared From Brighton Seafront in One Weekend as Council Urges Beachgoers to Clear Up
Millions of visitors flock to Brighton beach every summer. Photo: Expect Best via Pexels
Brighton and Hove City Council is urging beachgoers to take their rubbish home after more than 20 tonnes of waste was cleared from the seafront during a single May bank holiday weekend
More than 11 million people visit Brighton and Hove every year, with the tourism and hospitality sector central to the city's local economy. When the sun comes out, thousands flock to the beach. But the scale of rubbish left behind during busy periods is putting pressure on council teams and posing a real risk to the city's marine environment.
Over the course of the recent May bank holiday weekend, thousands of people came to Brighton beach to enjoy the sun and scorching temperatures. While the majority of residents and visitors made use of the seafront bins, many did not. The result was more than 20 tonnes of rubbish left behind and cleared from the seafront in a single weekend.
Brighton's seafront has 54 refurbished bins, with additional collection crews and teams in vans assigned to clear side waste left next to full bins. Despite those measures, the seafront is regularly swamped with discarded rubbish at peak times throughout the warmer months.
With temperatures forecast to be in the 20s again this weekend, the council is asking beachgoers to take responsibility for their own waste before another busy period hits the seafront.
Brighton and Hove City Council cleared more than 20 tonnes of rubbish from the seafront during the May bank holiday weekend. Photo: Brighton and Hove City Council
What the council is asking
Councillor Tim Rowkins, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Net Zero and Environmental Services at Brighton and Hove City Council, said the city is proud to welcome so many people when the weather is good and does not want that to change, calling it part of what makes Brighton and Hove such a vibrant place.
Councillor Rowkins said the reality is that when so much rubbish is left on the seafront there is not only a financial cost to the council, but the potential for plastic and other waste to find its way into the marine environment.
He said Brighton and Hove will always be a place where people are welcome and can come and enjoy themselves, and that it is what the city is known for and what makes it such an amazing place. But he asked that if people do visit the beach, they either use the bins provided to dispose of their rubbish or, if those bins are full, take their rubbish home with them.
Councillor Rowkins added that nobody enjoys cleaning up after a party, but if everyone takes responsibility for their own waste, the seafront can be kept looking its iconic best.
For more on life in Brighton and Hove, read our Brighton Beach Guide 2026 and the latest from the Brighton Seafront Transformation Plans. For daily local news follow ImJustBrighton.
