Brighton based Meaningful Travel company, Rickshaw Travel, left the office behind today and headed to Brighton beach to carry out a huge clean-up operation, removing two bags full of litter from the shores.

Working with Brighton & Hove Cityclean, Rickshaw Travel's team of warriors took to the beach this morning to collect litter, from needles and used nappies, to discarded plastic bottles and bags.

Whilst today two full bags of waste were collected, on a sunny bank holiday, beach cleaners at Brighton Beach can expect to pick up 40 tonnes of rubbish in as little as two days, and a maximum of 400 kilos on a normal day. This beach clean takes place ahead of World Oceans Day on 8th June, a national awareness day that celebrates the world's oceans, with a particular spotlight on preventing plastic pollution and encouraging solutions for a healthy ocean.

An independent tour operator, Rickshaw Travel specialises in providing enriching experiences for travellers across the world, taking them off the beaten path and into the heart of local communities. Protecting nature and wildlife whilst encouraging travellers to do the same is at the core of Rickshaw Travel's company ethos.

Blanca Balaguer, Marketing Communications Specialist at Rickshaw Travel, said “Although it was upsetting to see the amount of rubbish on the beach, it was extremely rewarding to remove two bags' worth that ultimately would have ended up in the ocean. As a company, we pride ourselves on providing responsible travel experiences in the countries that our travellers can visit and it is right that we do our best to lead the way with similar regard to our beautiful environment here at home, in Brighton.”

More than 12.2 million tonnes of plastic are dumped into the world's oceans each year. It is believed that only 1% of this is seen floating on ocean surfaces, while 94% of this waste ends up on the sea floor. The highest concentration of plastic waste is found on beaches, threatening 31 species of marine mammals and 100 species of birds.