‘We feel we’re fighting a losing battle’: the race to remove millions of plastic beads from Camber Sands

<p>A huge cleanup effort has seen volunteers working to remove beads by hand and machine. They can only wait and see the extent of damage to wildlife and dune habitat</p><p>Just past a scrum of dog walkers, about 40 people are urgently combing through the sand on hands and knees. Their task is to try to remove millions of peppercorn-sized black plastic biobeads from where they have settled in the sand. Beyond them, a seal carcass grins menacingly, teeth protruding from its rotting skull.</p><p>Last week, an environmental disaster took place on Camber Sands beach, on what could turn out to be an unprecedented scale. Eastbourne Wastewater Treatment Works, owned by Southern Water, experienced a mechanical failure and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/nov/08/environmental-catastrophe-fears-as-millions-of-plastic-beads-wash-up-on-camber-sands">spewed out millions of biobeads</a> on to the Sussex coastline. Southern Water <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/nov/10/southern-water-spill-plastic-biobeads-sussex-camber-sands">has since taken responsibility</a> for the spill. Ironically, biobeads are used to clean wastewater – bacteria attach to their rough, crinkly surface and clean the water of contaminants.</p><p>Camber Sands is one of England’s most popular beaches, with rare dune habitat</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/nov/15/race-remove-millions-plastic-biobeads-camber-sands-volunteers">Continue reading...</a>