The annual speed clean on Sunday September 8 saw young and old collecting as much rubbish as possible from the popular beauty spot, and swapping it for redeemable tokens.

People arrived, signed in, grabbed some gloves and a bag and began collecting trash, some on the shore or in the water, others in the surrounding bush.

Organiser Karen Fulton said afterwards, everyone could come back and we help sort through the rubbish that's been collected.

"We send this data to Australian Marine Debris Initiative. Every 10 pieces of rubbish collected are exchanged for a token, which can then be used to buy secondhand clothing, books and toys donated by the Port Macquarie community,:

It was the first time the event was held at Shelly Beach after three outings to Town Beach and one to Westport Park.

There were musicians, public speakers, coffee and food, as well as face painting, henna body art and flower crown workshops.

"There is a prize for the furthermost scavenge, the most rubbish collected by an individual and the most cigarette butts collected by an individual," said Miss Fulton.

"The more rubbish you collect, the more tokens you can get.There is a special emphasis on cigarettes because they take about 10 years to decay. They have such a big impact on marine life and so many people smoke at the beach. Dropped butts end up in the ocean impacting on fish and turtles," she added.

The event was supported by the Port Macquarie-Hastings Council, Coastal Warriors Mid North Coast, local businesses and community groups.