On 5 September 2026, the PROMAR Team in Guyana conducted a Beach Cleanup and Sampling Activity at Unity Beach, East Coast Demerara, as part of the Prevention of Marine Litter in the Caribbean Sea (PROMAR) Project. Beginning at 8:00 a.m., the activity combined a general beach cleanup with marine litter sampling, supporting ongoing efforts to better understand the composition and sources of waste affecting Guyana’s coastal environment.

 

Twelve volunteers took part, contributing to the collection, sorting, weighing, classification and documentation of marine and coastal litter. After a briefing and registration, participants spent the day removing waste from the shoreline while recording the types, quantities, weights and, where identifiable, brands of the items they encountered. Sampling was carried out across three sites, giving the team a more detailed and structured view of what is reaching this stretch of the East Coast Demerara. The day concluded with a final weighing, garbage removal, a debrief and a group photograph.

 

Beyond removing litter, the activity aimed to raise awareness of marine pollution and encourage youth and community participation in practical actions that lead to cleaner, healthier coastal environments. Hands-on involvement in sorting and recording waste helped volunteers see first-hand how everyday consumer products end up as marine litter.

 

Based on the recorded data and extrapolation across the three sampling sites, approximately 309.98 kg of litter was documented. The findings showed a substantial presence of glass bottles, aluminium cans, plastic bottles and other consumer-related waste, pointing to beverage packaging as a major component of the litter at Unity Beach.

 

Glass beverage bottles accounted for a considerable proportion of the overall weight. Extrapolating across the three sites, approximately 699 bottles of the 592 brand were recorded, with an estimated combined weight of 121.44 kg, making 592 the most prominent identifiable brand and a major contributor to the total weight. Other prominent glass bottle findings included approximately 93 Rude Boy bottles (about 20.27 kg), 48 Modelo bottles (about 8.88 kg) and 42 Coors bottles (about 7.27 kg). Other glass bottle brands identified included Heineken, Mackeson, Guinness, Magnum, Smirnoff, Carib, Shandy, Carlo Rossi and GT.

 

Aluminium beverage cans were also frequently encountered, with approximately 177 cans of the 592 brand recorded across the three sites, followed by 84 Coors cans, 30 Diamond Sparkling cans and 24 Canada Dry cans. Although the cans were numerous, their low individual weight meant they contributed far less to the overall mass than glass bottles.

 

Plastic waste was documented as well, particularly beverage bottles and cups. The extrapolated findings represented approximately 51 Clear Water bottles, 15 Blue Spring Water bottles, 24 Coca-Cola bottles of various sizes, 9 Turbo bottles and 9 Busta bottles, alongside other plastic items.

 

Together, the findings show that discarded beverage packaging is a significant source of litter at Unity Beach. While plastic and aluminium items were frequently encountered, glass bottles made up a substantial share of the total weight because of both their abundance and their heavier individual mass. This distinction matters: it shows that measuring litter by weight, and not only by item count, gives a fuller picture of where the waste is coming from and which materials dominate the problem.

 

By documenting waste at this level of detail, including brand-level data, the PROMAR Team in Guyana is building a clearer evidence base on the sources of marine litter along the country’s coastline. This information can help inform future prevention efforts, support conversations on producer responsibility and beverage packaging, and promote responsible waste management. Activities like the Unity Beach cleanup and sampling show how community action and citizen science can work hand in hand to reduce marine litter and protect Guyana’s coastal and marine ecosystems.