The waters in England are chippy.
A series of shipping incidents have brought an array of items to beaches across England. Last weekend, a beach in East Sussex turned golden after uncooked French fries and onions washed ashore. The spillage was reported after two ships lost their cargo at sea in January. In December, West Sussex’s beaches were blanketed with bananas after another accident.
Earlier this month, two vessels lost 24 containers at sea due to strong winds caused by Storm Goretti. The coast guard confirmed the containers held nonhazardous contents. Many sank, but several washed up on Selsey, Rustington, Rottingdean, and Beachy Head.
In Eastbourne, onions appeared last Wednesday, according to resident Joel Bonnici, who spoke to CNN. Over the weekend, thousands of uncooked fries covered the beaches. “In some areas the chips were two-and-a-half feet deep into the ground,” Bonnici told BBC.
Residents have been helping remove the plastic bags that contained the onions. Plastic waste is an environmental hazard on the coast, where marine animals can ingest it. Removing the plastic became a priority for citizens, and many volunteered to help.
Environmental group Plastic Free Eastbourne urged people to assist with cleanup efforts. In a recent Facebook post, the group explained that more bags of onions and fries continue to wash up. “After each tide, more bags are still washing up. Please pick bags, plastic, bottle top, fishing gear…and leave by the bins provided by @Eastbourne council. These will be collected daily by their fantastic team.”
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Going Bananas
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In December, 16 refrigerated shipping containers from the Baltic Klipper fell off the Isle of Wight, an island off England’s south coast. The containers—filled mostly with bananas—later appeared on West Sussex’s beaches. Authorities warned people not to eat the bananas, as they might not be safe for consumption. Plastic waste and debris also washed ashore, posing an environmental risk.
The West Sussex County Council asked the public to stay away from the beaches so crews could safely clean up the fruit and containers. In late December, the council also warned Boxing Day swimmers to be cautious, as metal fragments might remain in the sea.
The Baltic Klipper was transporting fruit from South America and had docked in Mexico and the Netherlands before heading to Portsmouth. The containers bore Tesco labels, indicating the fruit was destined for U.K. supermarkets.
The Marine Accident Investigation Branch, which is investigating the incident, said rough seas and strong winds caused the mishap. Initial findings also indicated the containers were not properly secured. The agency noted, “Thirteen of the shipping containers have now washed ashore on the south coast at Selsey, Bognor Regis, and Pagham Harbour, which has resulted in foodstuffs and plastic insulation being deposited on the beach.”
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in Parliament that the cleanup was led and initiated solely by local volunteers, and praised their extraordinary efforts.
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