A Westland local has come close to tears, seeing beaches devastated by rubbish.

Last week's storm eroded the old Fox Glacier landfill - washing rubbish down the river and out to sea.

Okarito Community Association member, John Vanderloo, told Mike Hosking he's not blaming anyone, but it's terrible to see.

"Milk bottles, shopping bags, confectionery bags, they press all the plastic to recycle centres, they can't sell it so it's got to go into landfill and with the big storm we had, it just ripped through the old dump and out she came."