Orkney Beach Overwhelmed by 'Retro Rubbish' from Canada

Plastic bottles and debris, seemingly originating from Canada and dating to the 1960s and 70s, have washed ashore on the Orkney island of Sanday. Beach cleaners described themselves as "overwhelmed" by the sheer volume of plastic found on Howar Sands in recent weeks. David Warner, who organizes clean-ups, noted a dramatic increase, collecting hundreds of bottles this year compared to 42 last year.

Experts point to "fairly extraordinary weather," characterized by strong south-easterly winds, as the cause for this surge of "retro rubbish." Some bottles found bear markings from Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Warner expressed concern that even more detritus from the 1990s and 2000s could wash up in the future. He estimated over 300,000 pieces of polystyrene across 70 square metres alone, finding the tiny particles impossible to collect.