A team of National Lottery millionaires helped clear plastic from a beach as the shock UN climate report was released yesterday.
They were joined by the charity, the 2 Minute Foundation, which encourages people to spend just a few moments cleaning up the environment.
The manufacture of plastics is estimated to pump more than 850 million metric tonnes of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
And Claire Giner from the charity said: “The production of plastics is one of the largest contributors to what is changing the climate.
“If we could recover all the plastic that already exists then we would not need to produce new plastic.”
In just an hour on New Brighton beach, Merseyside, the lotto litter pickers found around 1,200 tiny pieces of micro plastics, hidden and entangled in seaweed, which could have been swallowed by birds and fish.
Claire added: “We have potentially saved the lives of 1,200 animals.”
The nine lottery millionaires who were on plastic patrol had won almost £20million between them and included ex train guard Ben Woods, 40, who scooped a £2.4million Lotto jackpot, in 2004.
He lives nearby and is a regular visitor to New Brighton with his family.
Father of three Ben said: “It is really interesting to see what gets into the ocean. The plastics are minute.”
He added: “It is always great to be able to give something back in terms of our time.”
Ruth Breen, 42, who won £1million on EuroMillions in 2014 but has continued working as midwife, said: “We are finding tiny pieces of plastic. You would notice them if you were just walking past.”
She added: “It is up to us as individuals. We can all do our bit on climate change and the environment.”
And Debbie Mather, 63, who won a £5million Lotto Jackpot in 2005, said: “The whole world has got to do something about the crisis.”
Emma Cartwright, 35, who landed a £6.5million on EuroMillions in 2009, said: “We wanted to help clean up the beach and give something back to the community.
“My little girl is into recycling so she thought it was really good when I told her what I was doing.”
The team used bags made from tents left at music festivals to collect the plastic, which will be recycled.
