More than 20kg of rubbish has been cleaned from Carmarthenshire's coastline.

More than 40 volunteers rallied to remove an extensive array of harmful plastic from Cefn Sidan in Pembrey Country Park.

This was part of Coleg Sir Gâr’s Green 24 project, a beach clean event coinciding with Carmarthenshire County Council’s Green Warrior Day.

The eight-mile stretch of soft sand, a Blue Flag awarded beach, may seem pristine but beneath the surface, an upsetting volume of litter lurks.

The volunteers uncovered a surprisingly large number of rubbish items across a mere 200-metre radius.

The debris list featured approximately 100 metres of fishing rope, 30 soda cans, innumerable plastic pellets, crisp packets, and even an inflatable Santa Claus.

Understanding the vast scope of litter beyond what appears on the surface, Green24 collaborated with Oracle Environmental Experts.

Using cutting edge technology, these experts removed microplastics and macroplastics, an insidious form of pollution generally invisible to the naked eye.

Jemma Parsons, head of Green Skills Academy at Coleg Sir Gâr, explained the positive effect of Green 24's efforts: "Green 24 is proud join Green Warrior Day and to share knowledge and best practice that can help people and organisations develop green skills and become net zero.

"Through this beach clean-up, along with future engagement activities and training sessions across the county, we hope to empower communities with hands-on experience that will help make a positive impact on our environment, in Carmarthenshire and beyond."

Green 24 is an initiative that motivates communities to adopt greener living and working practices and works towards demystifying sustainability.

Jon Burton, managing director at Oracle Environmental Experts, echoed these sentiments.

He said: "We joined Green24 at Green Warrior Day to help raise awareness of the threat posed by plastic pollution.

"The planet is telling us that things aren’t right, and the reality is that we have finite resources, and these must be managed carefully to ensure a future for the next generation."

For further details on upcoming sustainability events in Carmarthenshire or to discover how Green 24 can assist you with gaining necessary green skills, contact greenskillsacademy@colegsirgar.ac.uk or visit Coleg Sir Gar's website.