The Marine Conservation Society's (MCS) survey involves more than 4,000 volunteers nationwide who'll examine 360 different beaches.

Both Sandhaven and Marsden beaches will be surveyed and cleaned up here.

Volunteers take as much litter as possible off beaches after the summer season, and also record the quantity and type of rubbish they find.

The findings will be instrumental in continuing the MCS campaign against plastic litter.

According to activists, plastic poses the greatest threat to seabirds and other marine animals every year through ingestion and entanglement.

The South Tyneside arm of the operation is ran by Kathleen Ramm, from Whitburn, who has carried out the survey for the past few years.

Plastic litter has consistently accounted for more than 50 per cent of all litter found on beaches during MCS Beachwatch surveys, and the United Nations Environment Programme recently estimated that there are 46,000 pieces of plastic litter per square mile of the world's oceans.

Emma Snowden, MCS Litter projects officer, said: "The information collected will help MCS tackle the sources of litter and campaign to reduce the most common items ending up on our beaches and killing wildlife".

Almost 4,000 volunteers took part during last year's MCS Beachwatch 2007 weekend, cleaning and surveying more than 350 beaches and collecting about 2,700 bags of litter – a clear sign that beach litter is a major issue and is important to the UK public.

Fiona Wynne, coastal stewardship and environment manager at the Crown Estate, which supports the survey, said: "Taking part in Beachwatch is
a great way to show you and your friends care about the marine environment.

"We would like to see many more volunteers joining in this year to make it an even greater success, so please make sure you contact MCS to get involved".

MCS Beachwatch is the flagship event of the Marine Conservation Society's Adopt-a-Beach project.