RESIDENTS across Sedgemoor are being encouraged to clear up Somerset's coastline as part of the Great British Spring Clean. 

More than 150 spring beach cleans will be taking place across the South West from April 3 to April 9.

Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) are working in partnership with Ecover and are organising the biggest ever Big Spring Beach clean which will involve more than 10,000 volunteers. 

The environmental charity said it hopes to collect more than 50,000 plastic bottles from coastlines across the UK to create new bottles as part of the Ecover Ocean Plastic Bottle Project. 

Dom Ferris, SAS’s head of community & engagement, said: “By collecting plastic that would pollute our oceans and converting it into functional packaging, Surfers Against Sewage and Ecover will raise awareness about using plastic conscientiously and more sustainably.

"Our volunteers are committed to tackling plastic pollution on their beaches for as long as it takes but each and every one of them longs for a day when beach cleans are just a fond memory and we truly have Plastic Free Coastlines.”

SAS said recent surveys have shown that there are almost 160 plastic bottles for every mile of UK shoreline and said that action needs to be taken to reduce the UK's plastic footprint. 

The charity said its group of 25,000 volunteers has cleared away more than 200 tonnes of plastic from Britain's coastline since 2010. 

Tom Domen, head of innovation at Ecover, said: “We’re delighted to be partnering with Surfers Against Sewage in their campaign to clean up the UK’s beaches.

"We share the same hairy ambition – to get people to totally rethink how they use plastic.

"Now in its 4th year, our Ocean Plastic bottle is designed to raise awareness of the impact of plastic on marine life.

"But we need to go further and change how we use, re-use and recycle plastic if we’re serious about creating a circular economy and a systematic clean-up of the sea."

The beach clean in Burnham-on-Sea will take place on April 8. 

For more information or to get involved in the big beach clean visit http://www.sas.org.uk/events/ or call 01872 553 001.