DOZENS of residents volunteer hours of their time keeping our shores sparkling, but businesses are backing our Keep Our Beaches clean campaign too.

Saltwater Beach Café, in Chalkwell Esplanade, is one striving to be as environmentally friendly as possible.

Owner and mum-of-two Liz Carr, 42, revealed their efforts after the Echo launched our beach clean-up bid, last week.

She said: “When we set up Saltwater we both wanted to ensure that our impact on the environment was minimal. We found Vegware packaging and knew that this would be the way forward for us to use a completely compostable packaging solution.

“If everyone does their bit to help reduce plastic pollution then we will really start to see a difference. As a family we use the beach a lot and it’s important to educate our next generation in relation to the importance of disposing of waste properly and making educated choices on packaging - do you really need a straw for your drink?”

Saltwater uses paper straws and people can get their water bottles refilled for free at the café. But what else are they doing to help keep our beaches clean?

Mrs Carr said: “We are in discussion with a company that make reusable coffee cups, so we can stock and sell reusable hot drinks cups and are happy to make our customers drinks using their own cups.

“We are really hoping that Win O Sullivan – of the Southend Beach Clean – will be able to get us a 2 Minute Beach Clean A-board to put out every day on the beachfront walk way.”

Fish and tapas restaurant Billy Hundreds, in Eastern Esplanade, is set to join Saltwater in encouraging people to carry out two minute beach cleans - the two will be the first in Essex to do so.

l The Marine Conservation Society is holding a beach clean at Southend’s Jubilee Beach on Sunday, from 10am-12pm. Volunteers will meet at the beach steps opposite the Castle Pub. To register, go to www.mcsuk.org