PROMAR BVI Rallies 268 Volunteers to Remove Nearly 800 kg of Marine Litter Across Four Islands for International Coastal Cleanup 2026

On the morning of 19 September 2026, 268 volunteers from across the four main islands of the British Virgin Islands (BVI) turned out for the 2026 International Coastal Cleanup (ICC), removing approximately 796 kg of litter from the coastline. The cleanups, held between 7am and 11am under the Prevention of Marine Litter in the Caribbean Sea (PROMAR) Project, brought together students, community members and 17 different organisations to take action against marine litter.

Cleanups took place at four locations: Trellis Bay on Beef Island, Tortola; Savannah Bay, Virgin Gorda; Great Harbour, Jost Van Dyke; and Loblolly Beach, Anegada. Together, the sites showed how a single morning of coordinated community action can reach coastlines across the territory.

As part of the ICC's citizen science approach, volunteers recorded the types, quantities and weights of the items collected at each site. This data helps build a clearer picture of the marine litter affecting BVI shorelines and supports efforts to prevent it at its source. In total, 1,387 plastic bottles were collected, and plastics made up over 50% of all the waste removed, underlining the impact of single-use plastics on the territory's coastal environment.

Not every item was small. At Trellis Bay, a dedicated team removed a derelict oven that had been dumped in the bush, a reminder that marine litter takes many forms and that illegal dumping can put coastal ecosystems at risk.

The 2026 ICC in the BVI showed how collective action can have a real impact on the health of the environment, and why marine plastic pollution needs to be addressed at its source. Work is already underway to tackle single-use plastics and introduce a deposit return scheme, helping to keep the thousands of single-use bottles collected on days like this out of the environment for good.

PROMAR BVI extends sincere thanks to all the volunteers, schools and partner organisations who gave their time and energy across Tortola, Virgin Gorda, Jost Van Dyke and Anegada. Their commitment is helping to protect the BVI's beaches and marine ecosystems, and supports PROMAR's wider mission of preventing marine litter across the Caribbean.