Plastic litter has increased by 9.5 per cent across UK beaches, according to new surveys by the Marine Conservation Society.
Three quarters of a million pieces of litter were collected by volunteers last year, which equates to two pieces of litter per metre of beach surveyed.
The new findings have been released following the charity's 2024 beach cleans and its State of the Beaches report. Compared to 2023, the amount of plastic washed up on our beaches has increased by nearly 10 per cent.
764,451 pieces of litter were collected by volunteers around the UK, average 170 items per 100 metres of coastline. 46 per cent of litter is from public sources, including household litter washing into seas via rivers and sewage outlets, or litter blown or dropped onto UK coastlines.
Plastics endanger marine life, with seabirds, seals and fish often mistaking plastic for food, which leads to internal injuries, starvation and death.
Among the most frequently recorded waste items were plastic cups and lids, found on 88 per cent of beaches, and plastic bottles and containers, which appeared on 71 per cent of surveyed sites in this project.
"Thanks to over 15,000 volunteers last year, the data from our beach cleans is clear: plastic pollution remains a huge problem for our marine environment," says Lizzie Price, beachwatch manager at the Marine Conservation Society.
"We urgently need more policies to reduce single-use plastics and ensure better waste management. Everyone has a role to play in protecting our oceans, and we urge the public to support stronger action against plastic waste, as well as cut down plastic from their everyday use."
Main image credit: Aled Llywelyn
