English beach covered in French fries and onions after cargo ship spill

CNN • January 19, 2026 • world

Key Points:

A beach in East Sussex, England, has been covered in thousands of bags of uncooked French fries and onions after containers spilled from cargo ships during recent storms.
Local residents, including Joel Bonnici and his partner, have been volunteering to clean up the plastic packaging, with community groups like Plastic Free Eastbourne calling for more help to protect marine life, especially nearby seals.
The plastic pollution poses a significant threat to wildlife, as animals can mistake plastic bags for food, prompting urgent cleanup efforts along the affected coastline.
Eastbourne Borough Council and Brighton and Hove City Council have reported large amounts of debris collected, with Brighton collecting nearly four times the usual waste for this time of year.
Salvage company Brand Marine is actively working with