Newsflash: Bio-beads and yet more debris on our coast

By Chris Corrigan

Chief Executive

Working with Hastings & Rye MP Helena Dollimore we have been campaigning to eliminate the use of bio-beads for more than two months. This follows the release of about five tonnes of these peppercorn-sized pieces of plastic from the Southern Water Eastbourne Wastewater Treatment Works at the end of October last year.

Tragically, these spread into our Rye Harbour Nature Reserve and we are still waiting for the contractors to start work on clearing as many as possible from the site.

Our campaign was just given a major boost when Helena Dollimore highlighted the issue at Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs) in front of a packed chamber.

We are delighted that Helena made such a compelling and passionate case in support of the campaign. This has put the issue in the national spotlight and firmly on the Prime Minister’s agenda.

This is very timely as we are now not just dealing with bio-beads. There have also been two serious pollution incidents caused by shipping containers being washed overboard in bad weather. The lost containers have either sunk or, worse still, broken up and washed ashore spilling debris, including foodstuffs such as onions and bananas and twisted metal from the damaged containers. Even more concerning from a marine perspective are the pieces of insulating foam. These will quickly disintegrate with wave action so clearing beaches before the lumps of foam are reduced to tiny fragments is now a race against time.

Debris is washing up all along the Sussex coast from Selsey in the west to our Rye Harbour Nature Reserve in the east, so the clean-up is a mammoth task and we are grateful to all the volunteers, local authorities and others who have stepped in to help.

There are calls for the shipping owners to pay for the clean-up costs which we fully support and, if needed, will play our part in ensuring this happens.

The container debris spill is an ongoing incident which has the potential to affect the Sussex coast for weeks or even months to come. We will contribute to the clean-up effort where we can by mobilising our volunteers to sensitive areas, in line with local authority guidance.

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If you do find any hazardous materials

West Sussex - Please report to Ambipar on 01202 653558 or [email protected]

East Sussex - Please contact your local district council

Please report any foodstuffs to the Environment Agency Incident hotline: 0800 80 70 60

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This has been an awful series of pollution incidents which have affected the entire Sussex coastline and they illustrate the range of threats faced by our precious marine environment.  

However, there is hope. We are making good progress with our bio-bead campaign and now we have reached the national stage I am increasingly optimistic that we will succeed. However, we cannot be complacent and if you have not signed the petition being led by Helena Dollimore please do. The deadline is 26^th January 2026.

Sign the Petition to Bin Bio-beads 

Thank you everyone for your support in trying to keep our coast clean! We must move beyond clean-up to dealing with the sources of pollution. I hope a successful bio-bead campaign will demonstrate that this can be done.