SET to enjoy a day out at a Dorset beach this Easter? Make it a litter free one!

The community campaign Litter Free Coast and Sea is launching a week-long challenge for Dorset residents and visitors alike to enjoy a ‘Litter Free Day Out’ at the coast this Easter.

The event will culminate with 22 beach cleans over the weekend of April 22 and 23, as the Great Dorset Beach Clean, returns for its 28th year.

The Little Free days out will run across the Easter Holidays and is set to encourage families to think carefully about the waste they produce during a day out, and take special care over how they dispose of it.

Project Co-ordinator Natalie Poulter said: “We know that most families are really careful about what they do with leftover food and drink packaging as part of their normal routine- it’s common sense and can even save money.

“For this campaign, we’re asking families to look at what happens when normality is suspended.”

She added: “When we’re enjoying a day out we treat ourselves and our families, explore new places or revisit favourite ones - we all look forward to doing fun things which we only do on holiday or on a day off. It can also mean eating out more or eating on the go and this can, inadvertently, lead to more rubbish being lost as litter along the way.

“Through our ‘Litter Free Days Out’ campaign, we’re encouraging people to enjoy all the things they love to do, but not forget their every-day tidy habits.”

The campaigns top tips for keeping your day out litter free include: finding a bin and putting your rubbish in, taking two minutes to look around and clean up before you leave the beach, download the Refill Britain App – which shows you where you can refill your water bottle for free, holding on to rubbish until you get to your destination and then putting it in a bin there and make a packed lunch and take it with you to save on packaging waste.

On Saturday, April 22, beach cleans will be held from 10am-12noon at Swanage beach, Durdle Door, Seatown and from 10.30am to 12.30pm at Chesil Cove and Charmouth.

On Sunday, April 23, the beach cleans will be from 10am-4pm at Hive Beach, Burton Bradstock, 10am – 5pm at Abbotsbury, 10am-12noon at Eype, The Cobb, Lyme Regis, Bowleaze Cove and Newton's Cove. 10am – 1pm at West Bexington, 10.30am to 12.30pm at West Beach West Bay and from 11am -1pm at Worbarrow Bay and Ferrybridge and finally from 2pm to 4pm at Cogden.

For more information visit: www.litterfreecoastandsea.co.uk/litter-free-coast-and-sea-week.