Bottles, wet wipes, cotton buds and cigarette butts among 25 tonnes of rubbish found on beaches

As part of the 20th year anniversary of Clean Coasts, artist Sean Corcoran created a special sand art mural at Bunmahon Beach, Co Waterford. Picture: Cathal Noonan

Plastic bottles, wet wipes, cotton buds, and thousands of cigarette butts were just some of the items among more than 25 tonnes of rubbish removed from Ireland's beaches, parks, and beauty spots last week.

Overall, more than 4,000 volunteers took part in over 300 clean-up events  which marked the 20th anniversary of the Clean Coasts programme last Thursday.