Eight-year-old Rayer Waddell is passionate about the ocean. That’s why she’s made it her mission to protect it from plastic rubbish! Read on to learn all about her beach clean adventures…

Rayer sits on the beach in front of a large pile of rubbish

Rayer spends her free time cleaning Blyth beach, in Northumberland, of litter. A job that sadly, is never-ending! Whatever the weather, she and her faithful reindeer pal Cranberry can be found scouring the shoreline, cleaning up whatever rubbish has turned up on the tides.

As well as litter picking, Rayer and her family also look after eight big beach recycling bins, which they empty every single night!

Rayer believes that the best way to prevent plastic pollution is to stop it at its cause. She wants people to stop throwing their rubbish from car windows and put plastic waste in a recycling bin. But ultimately, she hopes that people will stop using plastic altogether!

So far, she’s cleaned a whopping 300,500 plastic bottles from the surrounding area over the last few years, but more arrive every day.

Plastic problems

Rayer stands in front of hundreds of plastic bottles laid out on the floor.

Plastic is an important material in today’s world, but it also does a lot of damage to our natural environment.

DID YOU KNOW?

Every year, 8 million tonnes of plastic ends up in our beautiful oceans. This waste is a huge problem, but it’s one that we can all do something about!

Thanks to eco-heroes like Rayer, people are already making a difference! She hopes that her quest to keep her beloved beach clean will inspire others to do the same!

A better future…

Rayer stands behind lots of plastic picked up on a beach clean

Recently, Rayer has teamed up with the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) to ask the government to take action against plastic pollution on beaches.

They’re asking for a nationwide Deposit Return Scheme – where people hire a reusable cup for a small fee when they buy a drink. Once finished, they can return their cup to the shop and get their money back. The shop can then clean and reuse the cup over and over. This would help prevent people from leaving cups and bottles behind on the beach, and save people like Rayer a lot of work!

Want to help Rayer on her quest? Check out our top tips to reduce plastic pollution!

What do you think of Rayer’s big beach clean? Let us know in the comments below!

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COMMENTS

  • Nice work Rayer!

  • Mattie

    great job!! good luck!!!

  • (=^ェ^=)

    This is REALLy good

  • Good job!

  • Mattie

    great job!! good luck!!!

  • Mattie

    that is soooo great!!!! good luck!!

  • Lets clean up

  • Mina

    We can make a difference and help to save the world from rubbish.

  • SAVE OUR WORLD!!

    Great Job Rayer!!! You inspire me to start cleaning our world too. I have been wanting to start cleaning in my local area, but haven't felt it would make a difference. But you showed me that it can, so i will start asap! Thanks for you work!

  • Camilla and gabe

  • aya

    nice

  • we can save our world

  • chicken lord 2000

    It is a great idea so she can help clean the oceans that we swim in she is being a person who acts on something they think is wrong and not just sit there are watch it unfold In front of their eyes. She is helping the world be a better place by collecting this rubbish from the beaches that she lives around.

  • WillS123

    cool

  • SAVETHE_TURTELS1

    GOOD JOB MATE

  • Summer

    Good luck

  • Naghul Pranav

    nice

  • ?

    you rock

  • Bella

  • Great

  • Good on you

  • squirrel princess

    you rock

  • Emery

    We should remember to take care of our oceans.

  • zayan

    cool

  • XRumerTest

    Hello. And Bye.

  • jack

  • India

    This is very helpful for our ocean!

  • Sam

    Hi

  • artoncraftscn

    Hello. And Bye.

  • SAVE THE EARTH (JUN SHEN)

    YOU ROCK! KEEP ON GOING!

  • Kipling Evans

    I think Raya is doing the right thing to do helping the world thank you so much for helping the planet I promise to help I am 9

  • Crazi4theocean

    Wow. Rayer, you go GIRL! You rock. Thanks for saving the ocean!

  • lily

    So true millions of animals die from swallowing rubbish. At are local beach i try and pick up as much rubbish as i can find:] YOU ARE SUCH A HERO from lily age 10

  • Evelyn

    Hi I agree oceans should be rubbish free

  • isirad

    wow

  • Gemini (11)

    I own a litter picker and bin bags and, since my area gets very dirty, I try to get a litter pick in almost every day. So far, I thought I was the only one, but now I know that someone else is sharing my experience. Thank you, Rayer

  • Gemini

    I own a litter picker and bin bags that I try to

  • LEWIS

    YOU ARE A HERO

  • michealjackson

    so cool

  • I love pangolins

    Great job rayer

  • I love pangolins

    Great job Rayer

  • Lillyarna

    Thank you for sharing your inspirational story.

  • Kingchaos999

    soooooo cool

  • Isla

    It would be great to do that I’m going to start! Good work rayer

  • jai

    hi ella and what would i do without you rayer

  • Coco

    Save the world from plastic pollution

  • ted

    wow! your just like me.

  • sarahn5339

    hi ella

  • Omg !Omg !!! Rayer What Would I Do Without You?

  • Ella@savetheworld

    its realy cool that you are doing somthing i would to be like you

  • Ruby Reid

    Rayer you are so passionate of all the ocean and everyday and i love how you give your free time to the ocean. you inspired me to help. Thanks Ruby

  • rayer follower

    this is amazing! where would the beach be without rayer?

  • sup g

  • thomas

    your the best

  • thomas

    cool

  • Unistar578

    Great job!!! We love people who clean up our ocean!!!

  • Unistar578

    Great job! We need a lot of people to clean up the ocean and you are one of them!!!

  • Bookworm21

    Well done Rayer!

  • Aadya

    Well done!

  • Richardgam

  • Sophia

    Good work!

  • Sophia

    Good job!

  • Good job

  • Navadarsh PS

  • Aliyah

    Well done!

  • Helen

    Nice job

  • Sophie Wang

    good job!

  • #Unicorn {Parker}

    Every year, 8 million tonnes of plastic ends up in our beautiful oceans. This waste is a huge problem. What is up with this we need to make a strike and take action! Let do all the tips that Natgeo kids gave us so we can make a better planet to live on, ARE YOU WITH ME!!!!

  • Oof

    Niceee

  • Rayer

    we found 1,567 cans

  • taibsafunaz1978

    Лучшая статья, рекомендую всем к изучению!

  • sabrina ca

    wow my family and i also to cleaning up at nature trails wow you are awersome

  • Good work Rayer you are doing an amazing job

  • Kaia Montgomery

  • Lesley Mavin heppell

    Rayer you should be very proud of yourself, it’s Lovely to see this generation of children thinking about our planet before it’s to late x keep up the great work and thank you xx

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