Our dedicated coastal teams, contractors, and an army of volunteers have been kept busy over the past couple of weeks cleaning debris from our beaches.
Following the loss of shipping containers from two vessels off the Isle of Wight during Storm Goretti, we have seen the remains of the containers and their contents washing up along the entire East Sussex coast.
We’ve been working closely with other agencies to monitor the situation and organise the clean-up operation. With environmentally sensitive beaches at Camber and Winchelsea, we’ve had to act quickly to minimise the impact.
Since clean-up began, tonnes of insulation foam, food items, ear buds, face masks, rolls of plastic cups, and other items have been collected for disposal, and the council has worked with agencies to remove part of a shipping container washed ashore at Herbrand Walk.
Whilst the response has been extremely successful, the tides are likely to bring more debris onto our beaches in the coming weeks and we will continue to work with fellow district and borough council, East Sussex County Council and the relevant emergency and environmental to ensure the beaches are made safe as quickly as possible.
We are urging dog owners to keep their pets away from affected areas and on leads when they are on the beach, especially with the discovery of loose onions and garlic in nets – both of which are poisonous to dogs.
If you are helping with the clean-up effort, please take extra care taking note of tide times and sticking to the beaches only. Don’t empty liquids found inside containers or packaging, do not remove netting from onions and garlic as it makes it more challenging to remove them from the beach, and leave any collected items next to the nearest RDC litter bin so they can be easily collected for disposal.
If you spot any waste, email coastal@rother.gov.uk. Sightings of shipping containers must be reported to Solent Coastguard on 0344 382 0560.
This latest pollution event follows the discovery of millions of small plastic beads on Camber Sands in November which had spilled from a Southern Water treatment plant in Eastbourne.
The beads caused significant environmental damage. Clean-up and monitoring are ongoing, and an independent investigation is looking into the cause of the incident.
On the subject of the environment, residents signing up for our garden waste service by Saturday, February 28 can do so at a reduced price of £40 and will be automatically entered into a prize draw to win £50 Blackbrooks Garden Centre vouchers.
The garden waste service saves multiple trips to household waste recycling centres, and the waste is turned into nutrient-rich soil conditioner to improve soil structure and help plants grow, diverting it from landfill and reducing carbon emissions.
You can find more about the green waste offer by visiting Garden waste service – sign up for discount and voucher draw entry – Rother District Council
Ends.
Published: 23rd January 2026
