Home / Environment / UK Beaches Polluted: 50,000 Drinks Litter Items Found
UK Beaches Polluted: 50,000 Drinks Litter Items Found
13 Mar
Summary
- Nearly 50,000 drinks-related litter items were collected from UK beaches.
- Total litter removed exceeded 600,000 items, weighing over 11,400kg.
- Litter levels dropped 15% in the last year, with single-use plastics down 18%.
Nearly 50,000 drinks-related litter items were collected during volunteer beach cleans across the UK last year, according to a recent report. These items, including cans and bottles, were found on 95% of surveyed beaches nationwide.
Volunteers removed over 600,000 items of litter in total, with a combined weight exceeding 11,400kg. Despite this volume, the report highlights encouraging progress, showing a 15% drop in average litter levels and an 18% decrease in single-use plastics compared to the previous year.
This reduction may be linked to recent bans on single-use plastics and anticipated deposit return schemes, set to launch in October of next year. The Marine Conservation Society advocates for these schemes to further tackle drinks-related litter.
However, the exclusion of glass bottles from most deposit return schemes is a concern, as they were found on half of UK beaches. The charity urges governments to implement these schemes effectively to protect marine life and coastlines from pollution.
