Plastic litter increases by nearly 10 on UK beaches charity clean up finds

The amount of plastic litter on beaches around the UK increased by almost a tenth last year, volunteer beach cleans have revealed.

The Marine Conservation Society (MCS) said more than 15,000 volunteers picked up three quarters of a million pieces of litter across beaches in the UK in 2024, averaging 170 items per 100 metres of coastline surveyed.

Its latest annual “state of our beaches” report reveals that plastic litter collected in beach cleans and surveys increased 9.5% in 2024, compared with beach cleans in 2023, showing that plastic pollution “remains a huge problem for our marine environment”, the charity said.

MCS beach cleans and surveys involve volunteers combing stretches of beach for all items of rubbish, which are collected, bagged and recorded in detail.

The conservation group said plastic fragments were the most commonly found rubbish on UK beaches, followed by single use plastic packaging such as crisp packets and sweet and sandwich wrappers.

Bottle caps and lids, and string and cord were also among the most commonly found items in the beach cleans.

The charity said it was not clear why there was such an increase in plastic litter this year, but added there has been an increasing trend in plastic items found on beaches over the 31 years it has been running the survey.

The largest source of rubbish (46%) is from the public, including household litter washed down to the sea through rivers or drainage, or blown or dropped on the coastline, while more than a third (34%) could not be identified.

Other less significant sources of litter included fishing, shipping, sewage debris and fly-tipping, the report showed.

Around the UK, English beaches had an average of 158 items of litter per 100 metres surveyed in 2024, down 2.2% on 2023, while Wales had 120 items per 100 metres, which was a 4.3% increase on the previous year.

In Scotland, volunteers picked up 204 items per 100 metres surveyed, a 7.2% increase, while in Northern Ireland, an average of 316 pieces of litter were collected for every 100 metres surveyed, a 35.9% increase on 2023.

And in the Channel Islands, 119 pieces of rubbish were picked up for every 100 metres of beach, a 64.6% increase on 2023, the report showed.

Lizzie Price, beachwatch manager at the MCS, said: “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.

“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.”

Catherine Gemmell, policy and advocacy manager at the MCS added: “The findings highlight the persistent problem of plastic pollution, and the need for a circular economy in which consumers have more options and access to use refillable and reusable products.

“We need more policies by the UK Government, and incentives for businesses, to cut down on the single-use plastic that we’re producing,” she urged.

An Environment Department spokesperson said: “For too long plastic waste has littered our streets, polluted Britain’s waterways and threatened our wildlife.

“This Government is committed to cleaning up the nation and cracking down on plastic waste as we move towards a circular economy.

“This includes delivering a deposit return scheme so more plastic is recycled and not chucked away as litter or left to rot on landfill.”

Published: 19/03/2025 by Radio NewsHub