MINEHEAD business owner Keith Hunt spends his free time cleaning up Minehead beach alongside running his independent eco-friendly shop, Our Precious Earth.

Keith has been running his shop on Holloway Street in Minehead since 2023, after being a school caretaker for many years.

His eco-journey began in 1971 after noticing how much plastic was gathering on West Somerset’s beaches. This prompted him to take action and start clearing up the litter, which can have a damaging impact on the coast.

Keith said: “I did my first beach clean back in 1971 after seeing an article by Keep Britain Tidy in a children’s comic, asking readers who lived near the sea to choose a 200 yard section of beach and collect any rubbish and record it as part of a survey.”

During the summer months, Keith walks to work from Blue Anchor to Minehead - while cleaning the beach along the way - which he says is his favourite way to start the day.

Keith says plastic is by far the worst offender when it comes to polluting the coastline in Minehead, adding: “It’s the plastic which has been in the sea for a long time, breaking down into tiny pieces which is often too small to pick up.”

Old fishing gear also causes an issue and Keith says it’s not unheard of to find line with hooks attached washed up on the shore. Keith added: “In stormy seas, it’s common to find huge pieces of net and rope, too.”

Since his clean-up journey began, Keith is pleased to say that he’s seen an uptick in people wanting to get involved with tidying the beach. He added: “I’m pleased to say lots more people are being inspired to take a bag to the beach or countryside and pick up any rubbish they see, which is definitely making a difference.”

Keith keeps a tally in his shop recording the amounts of plastic he has collected and, since January 2024, has collected a staggering 13,000 pieces of plastic that could otherwise end up being lost at sea. Once the plastic is collected, he ensures its recycled appropriately.

After organising a beach clean-up in Watchet a few years back, the group spotted an interesting item and the beach was closed off. Keith said: “The first item spotted was a ’shell’ from WW2, so the beach was closed off until the Royal Navy bomb disposal squad arrived to remove it.

“Another exciting find was a piece of a memorial bench which I found at Porlock Weir which had washed away in the floods 18 months earlier at Arley in Worcestershire.”

Keith said the plaque from the bench has been returned and fixed to a new bench beside the River Severn in the county it originally came from.

As well as running his shop, Keith is a dedicated conservator and a Litter Heroes Ambassador for Keep Britain Tidy, through which he educates and encourages others to reduce litter and waste.

You can follow Keith’ cleanup journey on his website: https://ourpreciousearth.co.uk/.