2026 OceanCARE UK Expedition video

In April of 2026, one of our teams sailed across the North Sea to conduct our OceanCARE Expedition in Orkney, Scotland. 7,065 kg of marine litter removed. 17 cleanups completed. 6,950 metres of coastline restored. 850 students reached. Those are the numbers from our 2026 Orkney Expedition, but they only tell part of the story. Orkney's coastline is breathtaking, but it's also an extremely challenging place to tackle marine litter. Many of the worst-affected areas are remote, exposed, and scattered with heavy fishing gear that can't simply be collected with a bin bag. And even if the trash can be collected, removing it from the beach poses its own set of challenges. That's why this expedition mattered. Working alongside Greener Orkney, Bag the Bruck, the Scottish Islands Federation, local volunteers and communities, we combined local knowledge with our specialist capacity needed to reach and remove litter from places that are often left behind. Together, we didn't just clean beaches, we strengthened partnerships, gathered valuable data, and helped build a model that can make future cleanups even more effective. From the first time we arrived in Orkney in 2024, we knew that protecting these coastlines couldn't be something we did alone. We brought the vessels, equipment, and a dedicated crew ready to clean, but we were also stepping into someone else's home. It was the support, knowledge, and commitment of local communities and partner organizations that made this work possible. This expedition is a reminder that meaningful change doesn't come from one-off cleanups. It comes from building lasting partnerships, sharing knowledge, and creating a structure that supports and facilities communities to protect their coastlines. We look forward to returning to Scotland and building on this momentum to continue protecting our planet. A special thanks to Van Oord whose support and commitment has made this expedition possible.