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Over the last 20 years we’ve made huge progress in making our beaches and bathing waters cleaner.
In 1988 only 18% of our bathing waters met minimum standards, in 2016 this was 100%.
Below is information on how we got there and how we’ll keep it that way…

10 Tips for a Plastic-Free Christmas!

Christmas can be a time of excess – including plastic! Whether it’s toys, wrapping paper or food containers, plastic is everywhere at this time of year!

Protect your ocean, beach and wildlife by have a plastic-free Christmas. Here are a few tips on how to do it:

1. Wrapping paper

Most wrapping paper actually contains plastic and can’t be recycled. There are lots of alternatives on the market that don’t contain plastic, some even made from recycled paper. Or why not go for the classic brown paper look, with beautiful reusable bows and decorations?

You can find some ideas here.

You can also used once-loved fabrics and use shredded paper instead of bubble wrap and polystyrene!

2. Green Christmas Trees

Everyone loves Christmas trees, they are a central an important part of feeling really Christmassy at home! Choose an eco option to make sure your special tree doesn’t harm the planet!

Fake trees can be reused for years, but are mostly made of plastic and will likely end up in landfill.

Real trees are better, but millions of people wanting Christmas trees means millions of trees cut down, which isn’t very sustainable. A better alternative is to buy a pot grown, living tree, which you can keep in the garden for the rest of the year and bring in every Christmas. You can even rent Christmas trees, meaning that you can send your tree back to be cared for for the rest of the year and no trees have to die!

3. Eco Christmas Crackers

Christmas crackers often come with a lot of plastic, most of which ends up in the bin, or worse still, our oceans!

You can still enjoy crackers round the table on Christmas Day, but why not opt for more sustainable options, like reusable crackers or those made from recycled materials? Or why not try making your own?

4. Edible Christmas Decorations

Why not cut down on the amount of plastic in your home by making decorations you can eat?! It’s a win-win! Make gingerbread men or cookies and hang them on your tree! If you don’t have time to make your own, look out for wooden decorations that make a beautiful addition to your tree.

5. Plastic-free gifts

Give gifts for your loved ones and the planet by opting for plastic-free options. Kids’ toys tend to be made from plastic, but you can make a difference by buying wooden alternatives, which are beautiful and can last a lifetime.

There are now lots of plastic-free shops online where you can buy lots of lovely and sustainable gifts for the special people in your life, so why not take a look?! Another great idea is to give experiences rather than gifts, like a spa day or a concert ticket. Even better, make your own gifts for a lovely personal touch!

6. Plastic-Free Christmas Dinner

When shopping for your Christmas feast, try and opt for plastic-free food! Many supermarkets are now offering plastic-free fruit and veg, or a great way to avoid plastic and support your community is to head down to your local market.

Making your own treats like mince pies, cakes, gingerbread, Christmas puddings and cookies is a great way to avoid plastic and also lots of fun for the family. And making easy dips means that you’ll avoid having lots of plastic pots at the end of Christmas.

7. Plastic-Free Shopping

Don’t forget to take your reusable tote bags out with you when you’re doing your Christmas shopping! It’s easy to come home with lots of big plastic bags full of goodies, but these can end up in our oceans and harm our wildlife.

8. Plastic-Free Tipples

Many people love a tipple at Christmas, it is a time for celebrating after all! Just make sure you don’t use plastic straws or stirrers! There are lots of alternatives out there, including paper and metal straws!

9. Plastic-free parties

Avoid throwing away lots of party ware by choosing paper plates and cups, and wooden cutlery! Or even better, reusable options and ‘real’ plates and cutlery!

10. Take Part in a Local Beach Clean!

A great way to protect your beaches, oceans and wildlife, is to help keep them clean! What better way to make a difference and burn off some Christmas pudding, than taking part in a local beach clean? There are lots going on up and down the coast, so check out our volunteering pages to find a beach clean near you!

Leave only paw prints!

It’s official! The bathing water season is over! This may be sad news for swimmers and it means that we have to finally admit that summer is over, but it’s good news for our furry friends who are now allowed back on the beaches!

Dog bans are in place on many beaches along the North West coast during the bathing water season, but once it’s over, we can start walking our pooches on sand once again.

So at this time of year, we like to remind everyone to pick up after their dogs and leave only paw prints.

Here are some doggy facts to inspire you to buy some poo bags and make sure you have them with you whenever you go to the beach!

27% of the population in the North Wets own a dog. That’s 852,000 households.
In 2017, there were 1,110,000 dogs in the NW.
There are 8 million dogs in the UK and they create 1000 tonnes of dog mess every day.
There are enough E.coli bacteria in one dog poo to contaminate an Olympic size swimming pool (around 3 million litres of water).
A single gram of dog poo can contain up to 23 million faecal coliform bacteria!
Dog waste can also spread parasites such as hookworms, whipworms, roundworms, ringworms, tapeworms, Parvovirus and Salmonella.

Our beaches have something for everyone!

Check out our amazing video about this year’s Active Coast programme!

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Water quality

The Environment Agency monitors bathing waters – stretches of sea or lake where many people swim and paddle – to assess whether they meet the strict standards of the European Bathing Water Directive. The standards are set to protect public health and the environment from pollution.

The Environment Agency takes 20 water samples at each bathing water between May and September each year and post the information online: http://environment.data.gov.uk/bwq/profiles/

The samples are tested for certain types of bacteria: escherichia coli (E.coli) and intestinal enterococci, which are not directly harmful but indicate the presence of pollution. The bacteria are found in the intestines of animals and humans and pass through the body in poo. High levels of bacteria = poor water quality.

However, the water may be cleaner on the actual day you visit the beach, as the quality can change, particularly after heavy rain washes pollution into rivers and the sea. Look out for daily forecasts at some beaches.

Each beach is also given an annual classification. From 2015 this is based on sample results over the previous four years, e.g. 2015 results use data from 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015. 2016 results use data from 2013 to 2016 and so on. The classifications are:

Excellent

The standard is the highest, cleanest class

Good

Generally good water quality

Sufficient

The water meets the minimum standards

Poor

Bathing is not advised at this beach as water quality has not met sufficient standards

If a bathing water is classed as Poor, you are advised not to bathe because samples taken over the previous four years have been affected by pollution. This does not mean the beach is closed – you can still enjoy everything the beach has to offer.

If a water sample has high levels of bacteria, analysis is done to estimate* the sources of pollution and work is planned in the area to improve water quality. When this work is significant and is expected to help improve bathing water quality, the four years of data for the annual classification starts from the time the work is completed and sample data from before the work are not included. This is called step change.

*Estimates are based on computer modelling, DNA analysis, and knowledge of the local area. The estimates can never be perfect because pollution to bathing waters changes from day to day depending on the season, the tides and the weather.