Bans on plastics cut beach litter to 20-year low, Marine Conservation Society finds

More than 6,000 volunteers took part in this year’s clean-up, removing five tonnes of litter from beaches as well as their local streets and parks
More than 6,000 volunteers took part in this year’s clean-up, removing five tonnes of litter from beaches as well as their local streets and parks

Litter on beaches has fallen to the lowest level for more than 20 years, according to the country’s largest annual clean-up event. An average of 385 items of litter were found per 100 metres, down from 425 in 2020, 558 in 2019 and a peak of 835 in 2014.

The Marine Conservation Society (MCS), which has run the Great British Beach Clean since 1994, said the decline indicated that bans on certain single use plastic items were helping reduce litter, but that ministers needed to go further and restrict more products.

More than 6,000 volunteers took part in this year’s clean-up from 17-26 September and removed five tonnes of litter from more than 55,000 metres of beaches around the UK as well as their local