A group of Brazilians in Dublin say regular beach cleans are their way of "giving back" to the community.
The "Amigos of the Earth" group began cleaning Sutton Strand almost 12 months ago.
One of the group's founding members, Sao Paolo native Luiz Ramires, said: "We've all been here for so long and we are very grateful for all the opportunities we have here. It's like paying back for all the hospitality."
Mr Ramires, who works as a manager of a takeaway restaurant in Drumcondra, explained that he had been shocked by the amount of litter on the beach.
"I had never seen anywhere in Brazil as bad as this beach was. It was so graphic. When we were in the second lockdown, I was out on a walk here and I couldn't find any clean spot on the beach to sit down because there was rubbish all around the coast. It was heart-breaking."
Luisa Tavares, who works at an ice-cream shop in Howth, is another member of the 30-strong group.
She said they find a range of materials, including litter, being washed up by the tide.
'’We have seen needles, pads, shoes, toys, balloons, everything. We find the strangest things. It makes me feel very bad and sometimes I want to cry.
"When I try to walk along the beach and we see all this stuff on our way, it's horrible."
The group, which has been commended by the Clean Coasts programme, posts photographs of the litter collected on social media to raise awareness and hopefully inspire others.
Mr Ramires said: "I'm not asking you to come here with a bag and do a whole clean-up. But if everybody picks up one thing, it will make a big change."
