Authorities in contact with shipping container owner following discovery of alarming items washed ashore: 'The beach was covered'

A beach in England is covered in more than just sand after cargo ships spilled containers of uncooked onions and French fries on it.

What happened?

Two cargo ships lost several food containers each along the East Sussex coastline due to storms. As a result, raw onions and uncooked French fries are now blanketing a beach in the area. 

Resident Joel Bonnici told CNN the onions began appearing on the shore about a week ago. Before long, the food and its plastic packaging were burying the entire area. 

Bonnici, who came across the scene during a hike, said, "From a distance, you would think the beach was covered in yellow sand like you would see on a tropical island."

Thankfully, it wasn't long before Bonnici and several other volunteers were working to clean the beach up.

Why is this incident concerning?

The biggest concern with cargo spills is the amount of pollution they generate.

Plastic Free Eastbourne, a local environmental group, shared that the affected beach is only meters from a colony of roughly 20 to 30 seals. Seals and other marine life that come across plastic pollution may mistake it for food, particularly plastic bags floating in the ocean, which resemble jellyfish. 

When marine animals consume plastic, it can cause them to become ill or even die. Some types of plastic pollution in the ocean can also entrap marine life, resulting in severe injury or death.

Marine animals aren't the only ones at risk when it comes to plastic pollution on beaches and in the ocean, either. Plastic sheds microplastics into the water and sand, which research has linked to numerous health issues in humans, such as cardiovascular disease and certain cancers. Once in the water, fish consume these microplastics and then end up in people who eat seafood. 

This particular beach isn't the only one in the area damaged by the cargo spills, either. According to a Facebook post, the city council of Brighton and Hove collected just over two tons of garbage from a nearby beach.

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What's being done about the plastic pollution on this beach?

Cleanups are still underway to remove all the food and plastic from the affected beaches, and more calls for volunteers have gone out. 

Additionally, Brand Marine, a salvage company, is providing help on behalf of the owner of the ship that was carrying the french fries and onions, which were among 17 food containers lost during a storm in early January. 

Brand Marine told CNN in a statement, "The company is closely cooperating with local authorities and the U.K.'s HM Coastguard on the process of locating and salvaging the containers."

While cleanup efforts are encouraging, stopping plastic pollution at its source will be the greatest long-term step in stopping events like this. Switching to more sustainable packaging and reducing the amount of plastic would be two ways that individuals and corporations alike could solve the problem.

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