Clean Coasts

What Clean Coasts does

Clean Coasts is Ireland's nationwide coastal conservation programme, operated as part of An Taisce's Environmental Education Unit and headquartered at 5 Foster Place, Dublin. The programme supports over 2,000 volunteer community groups across the Republic of Ireland in conducting beach clean-ups, marine litter surveys, dune restoration, and biodiversity monitoring. Its service portfolio spans the Clean Coasts Programme (core community volunteer network), the Corporate Volunteering CSR programme (fee-based action days for businesses), the Big Beach Clean annual event (delivered as Ireland's contribution to Ocean Conservancy's International Coastal Cleanup), the Clean Coasts Roadshow (35 events across 14 counties in 2025), a grants scheme providing up to €500 per active group, awareness campaigns (#2MinuteBeachClean, #2MinuteStreetClean, Think Before You Flush, Think Before You Pour, Break Up With Plastic), award programmes (Green Coast Award, Ocean Hero Awards, Love Your Coast Photography Competition), and the Clean Coasts Observer citizen science initiative. Technology assets are limited to mobile citizen science tools, notably the Beat the Microbead barcode-scanning app (partnership with the Plastic Soup Foundation) and integration with Ocean Conservancy's Clean Swell app for standardised marine litter data recording.

The programme's revenue model is non-commercial and donation-based. It is funded through three primary streams: Government of Ireland and Fáilte Ireland sponsorship, corporate volunteering donations (sized by group size and covering facilitation costs plus the grants scheme), and individual/organisational donations. Customer and stakeholder segments are highly heterogeneous: 2,000+ community groups (Tidy Towns, residents' associations, sports clubs, schools, youth groups), individual volunteers, corporate CSR buyers (with Kia Ireland as a flagship corporate partner), and schools/educational institutions. The programme is governed by An Taisce (Ireland's National Trust) and operates through a small team of approximately 15 paid staff led by Regional Development Officers covering every coastal county, supported by a Coastal Communities Manager and a Coastal Awards Manager.

Name

Clean Coasts

Legal name

An Taisce's Clean Coasts Programme

Website

https://cleancoasts.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Clean Coasts is an Irish non-profit programme, operated by An Taisce, that supports over 2,000 community groups and tens of thousands of volunteers in beach clean-ups, marine litter surveys, and coastal conservation across Ireland. Funded by government sponsorship, corporate volunteering fees, and donations, it runs national campaigns, citizen science initiatives, and the Green Coast Award programme.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Conservation Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Remediation and Other Waste Management Services (5629)

SIC

Sanitary Services (4950)

akta.pro primary industry

Oceans, Coastal & Marine Resource Management (BPADALAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Marine Conservation & Citizen-Science Experiences (reef monitoring, turtle walks) (THAAAIAH), Coastal & Marine Resources Administration (Oceans, Fisheries, Shorelines) (BPAIAMAI), Marine & Coastal Remediation (Shoreline/Port Spill Cleanup) (IMAIAGAI)

Keywords

• Coastal conservation
• Marine litter cleanup
• Citizen science
• Beach cleanup
• Environmental education

Headquarters

HQ city

Dublin

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Corporate Volunteering Donations: Companies pay donations to participate in corporate volunteering days. The donation covers facilitation costs and funds the Clean Coasts grants scheme for community groups. Donation amount is based on group size.
2. Government Grants and Sponsorship: The Government of Ireland provides financial support to the Clean Coasts programme. Fáilte Ireland sponsors the programme as the National Tourism Development Authority.
3. Individual and Company Donations: Clean Coasts receives donations from individuals and companies that support the grants scheme for community groups.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Clean Coasts is a community-led coastal conservation and environmental education programme that supports over 2,000 volunteer community groups across Ireland to host beach clean-ups, conduct marine litter surveys, and carry out environmental activities. It also operates corporate volunteering programmes, grants schemes, awareness campaigns, and the Green Coast Award, and participates in Ocean Conservancy's International Coastal Cleanup.

Product overview

Clean Coasts is An Taisce's environmental education programme operating as a community-based coastal conservation initiative. The core offering is the Clean Coasts Programme, which supports over 2,000 volunteer groups in beach clean-ups and marine litter surveys. The portfolio includes community engagement programmes (Clean Coasts Groups, Corporate Volunteering Programme), annual events (Big Beach Clean, Clean Coasts Roadshow), mobile applications (Beat the Microbead App), grant funding (Clean Coasts Grants Scheme), and awareness campaigns (#2MinuteBeachClean, #2MinuteStreetClean, Think Before You Flush, Think Before You Pour, Break Up With Plastic). Award and recognition programmes include the Green Coast Award, Love Your Coast Photography Competition, and Ocean Hero Awards. The programme also provides data collection tools (Marine Litter Data Cards) for citizen science initiatives. Clean Coasts operates as a programme under An Taisce's Environmental Education Unit and partners with international organisations including Ocean Conservancy for the International Coastal Cleanup.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Green Coast Award: An award programme for beaches recognizing environmental excellence and management.
• Think Before You Flush
• #2MinuteBeachClean
• Big Beach Clean
• Clean Coasts Roadshow
• Ocean Hero Awards
• Beat the Microbead
• Think Before You Pour
• Beat the Microbead App
• Love Your Coast Photography Competition

Products and services

• Clean Coasts Programme Core community volunteer programme that supports over 2,000 community groups to host beach clean-ups, empower volunteers, facilitate marine litter surveys, and complete environmental activities to protect Ireland's coastline, seas, and marine life.
• Corporate Volunteering Programme CSR action day programme enabling companies to make tangible improvements to the coastal environment through beach/river/canal cleans, with options for ocean webinars or beach clean events, facilitated by the Clean Coasts team against donation-based pricing scaled by group size.
• Big Beach Clean Annual beach cleanup event held as part of the International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) operated by Ocean Conservancy, encouraging volunteers to remove litter and participate in citizen science data collection. In 2024 it engaged 15,000+ volunteers who removed 95+ tonnes of litter.
• Clean Coasts Roadshow Series of talks, workshops, and action events for coastal communities held across Ireland between February and May each year, covering topics like biodiversity, dune systems, marine litter, and Clean Coasts campaigns. In 2025, 35 events were held across 14 counties, attended by over 1,070 people.
• Beat the Microbead App Mobile application that scans barcodes of personal care products to inform consumers whether products contain plastic microbeads, categorizing them as Red (contains microbeads), Orange (pledged to stop), or Green (no microbeads). Available on iOS, Android, and Windows Phone.
• Clean Coasts Grants Scheme Financial support programme providing grants up to €500 for Clean Coasts groups that have been active for at least 6 months, to fund equipment, projects, events, and community initiatives.
• Green Coast Award Beach award programme recognizing beaches for their environmental excellence, clean water quality, and effective management without requiring the full Blue Flag criteria. Operated as a sub-brand of Clean Coasts.
• Clean Coasts Observer Programme engaging volunteers in monitoring and exploring their local coastlines, including seashore exploration and biodiversity recording.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 95 tonnes of litter removed by 15,000+ volunteers during Big Beach Clean 2024
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Plastic Soup FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Clean Coasts is part of the Beat the Microbead campaign launched by the Plastic Soup Foundation in partnership with the North Sea Foundation. The campaign involves an app that scans product barcodes to identify microbeads in personal care products.
• Government of IrelandcoreOthersThe Government of Ireland is a key supporter of An Taisce's Clean Coasts Programme, providing funding and policy support for marine litter prevention and community engagement with coastal communities.
• Fáilte IrelandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFáilte Ireland, the National Tourism Development Authority, sponsors the Clean Coasts programme. The Green Coast Awards and Clean Coasts groups act as custodians for beaches and marine life important to Ireland's tourism industry within the Wild Atlantic Way, Ireland's Ancient East, and Dublin Programme areas.
• Kia IrelandflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerKia Ireland is the official supporter of the Big Beach Clean 2025. Globally, Kia supports The Ocean Cleanup non-profit and uses recycled ocean plastic in EV production, aligned with Clean Coasts' marine conservation mission.
• Ocean ConservancycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClean Coasts participates in the International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) operated by Ocean Conservancy. The programme uses Ocean Conservancy's Clean Swell app for citizen science data collection and follows ICC methodologies for marine litter recording.
• National Spring CleanminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNational Spring Clean, Ireland's largest anti-litter initiative, encourages volunteers to join the Big Beach Clean, connecting their network of volunteers to Clean Coasts' coastal cleanup activities.
• Local AuthoritiescoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerClean Coasts programme is supported by Local Authorities around Ireland who help with the collection of marine litter removed by Clean Coasts groups and volunteers. Multiple Irish county councils are partners including Dublin, Wicklow, Wexford, Clare, Kerry, and others.
• Uisce ÉireannminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWater services company partnered with Clean Coasts for campaigns related to Think Before You Flush and Think Before You Pour initiatives addressing sewage-related litter and fatberg prevention.
• National Parks & Wildlife Service (NPWS)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerGovernment body responsible for nature conservation works with Clean Coasts on protected site management, invasive species control, and biodiversity initiatives along the coast.
• Biodiversity IrelandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for marine biodiversity education and citizen science projects, supporting data collection on marine species by Clean Coasts groups.
• Leave No Trace IrelandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOutdoor ethics organisation sharing principles of responsible outdoor recreation that complement Clean Coasts' message about protecting natural spaces.
• Green-SchoolsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoth programmes operate under An Taisce's Environmental Education Unit, with Green-Schools engaging schools in environmental practices that complement Clean Coasts' coastal education activities.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Broad incumbents

• The Ocean Cleanup: Larger global non-profit focused on ocean plastic removal and recycling, with corporate alignment (e.g., Kia) that intersects with Clean Coasts' sponsorship base — a broader incumbent addressing marine debris at scale.
• An Taisce (The National Trust for Ireland): Clean Coasts' parent organization and a much broader environmental charity running Green-Schools, Blue Flag, and National Spring Clean — a wider incumbent providing governance, funding, and infrastructure.
• Ocean Conservancy: Operator of the International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) and Clean Swell app that Clean Coasts integrates with — a larger established marine conservation NGO with global reach that serves as a partner and broader-incumbent reference point.

Direct peers

• Surfrider Foundation: Global grassroots ocean conservation organization with volunteer-led beach clean-ups, marine litter data collection, and education campaigns — closely mirrors Clean Coasts' community-activation model across multiple countries.
• Plastic Soup Foundation: Dutch non-profit behind the Beat the Microbead campaign that Clean Coasts runs in Ireland — a directly comparable advocacy and citizen-engagement organization tackling plastic pollution at the source.
• Marine Conservation Society: UK-based charity running nationwide beach cleans, citizen science marine litter surveys, and policy advocacy — a directly comparable national coastal conservation non-profit operating in an adjacent but closely related geography.
• Leave No Trace Ireland: Outdoor ethics organization promoting responsible recreation; partners with Clean Coasts and shares an overlapping audience of coastal and outdoor users, with a similar non-profit education model.
• National Spring Clean: Ireland's largest anti-litter initiative and Clean Coasts partner — a national volunteer-driven cleanup programme with overlapping community networks and government backing.

Regional players

• Keep Britain Tidy: UK-focused environmental charity running litter cleanups and education campaigns — comparable mission and community-led model, but geographically restricted to Britain rather than Ireland.

Others

• Fáilte Ireland: Ireland's National Tourism Development Authority and Clean Coasts' primary government sponsor — a strategic partner and enabler rather than a direct competitor, but materially shapes Clean Coasts' funding and positioning.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cleancoasts
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/cleancoasts
• Facebookfacebook.com/CleanCoasts
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/clean-coasts
• Instagraminstagram.com/cleancoasts
• TikToktiktok.com/@cleancoasts

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Clean Coasts