Plastic litter increases by nearly 10 per cent on UK beaches

Plastic litter on UK beaches has increased by nearly 10 percent, according to the Marine Conservation Society. In 2024, volunteers collected over 764,000 pieces of litter during beach clean events. Household waste made up 46 percent of this litter, with plastic fragments being the most common item found. This rise in plastic pollution poses severe threats to marine life, such as fish and seabirds, which can ingest or become entangled in plastic. Urgent policy changes and a reduction in single-use plastics are necessary to protect our oceans.