Employees of a packaging giant are going the extra mile to help the environment this weekend.

Nethertown beach, Egremont, will be cleaned up by a group of 20 Smurfit Kappa Composites employees on Saturday, and will welcome anyone who would like to join in – the more, the merrier.

Commercial manager Graham Fraser is taking charge of the event, and will be joined by general manager Keith Nichol, financial controller Roger Abbiss, and manufacturing manager Liam McGrady amongst many others, including staff members' children and grandchildren.

The clean up will begin at 9am, and the group will spend the morning scouring the beach for litter.

But the company isn't stopping at the West Cumbrian coast, and on World Cleanup Day, September 21, Smurfit Kappa's bases in 35 countries will carry out their own clean up, in an attempt to "do their bit" for the planet.

"We're sticklers for helping the environment, and finding ways we can play our part," Smurfit Kappa's Carol Munkhouse said. "We're definitely hoping to make it an annual event."

Cumbria Waste Ltd will also be taking part, providing a wagon ready to transport the collected rubbish to be recycled.