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Brighton Beach, with its stunning coastline and vibrant community, played host to an inspiring event this Plastic Free July.  

Staff and students came together for a community litter pick to take action on plastic pollution, organised by the University of Sussex Sustainability Team. The beach clean was a collaborative effort, with 40 attendees of primarily staff members, and a handful of enthusiastic students.  

The event kicked off with a warm welcome from Pro Vice-Chancellor of Global and Civic Engagement, Robin Banerjee, before teams and individuals walked Brighton’s pebble beach to collect litter before it reaches the ocean. As the shoreline was combed, rubbish was separated into three categories: general waste, recycling, and glass.  

The beach clean was part of the Plastic Free July campaign, a global movement encouraging individuals and organisations to reduce their plastic consumption. Each piece of rubbish collected represented a step toward a cleaner, more sustainable environment and showed our community’s commitment to sustainability and environmental stewardship. 

Here at Sussex, staff are supported and encouraged to take time out from their day jobs to support good causes in the community through the Volunteering Policy.What made this event even more remarkable was that Sussex staff used their volunteering leave to be part of it,choosing to contribute to a cleaner, healthier coastline.The teamwork and camaraderie were evident as everyone pitched in, gloves on and bags ready. 

The Brighton Beach Clean was more than just a cleanup—it was a powerful statement of our shared responsibility. By working together, the University of Sussex community demonstrated that small actions can create significant positive change.  

To find out more about volunteering and what you can do, please visit our Volunteering webpage.  

To get involved in sustainability at Sussex and hear more about what we do, please join our Sustainable Sussex mailing list.