Beach litter hits record levels

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The Marine Conservation Society's Beachwatch 2008 survey recorded and removed some 385,659 items of rubbish including fishing nets, plastic bags, cigarette butts and cotton bud sticks from beaches across the UK.

The average amount of rubbish found was 2,195 items per kilometre (0.6 miles) - more than two pieces for every metre (3.3ft) of beach, and more than double the 1,045 items per kilometre picked up during the first annual survey in 1994.

According to the Marine Conservation Society, more than 170 species of wildlife including seabirds, turtles and whales have been known to mistake litter for food, which can lead to starvation, poisoning and fatal stomach blockages. Beach litter can also be hazardous to people and costs millions to clear up.

More than 5,000 volunteers for the MCS surveyed 175.7 kilometres (109 miles) on 374 beaches for the survey, collecting 3,188 bags of rubbish last September.

More than a third of the litter picked up (37.7%) was classed as "public litter", which has come from members of the public and includes rubbish such as cigarette butts, drinks and food containers and plastic bags left on the beach or washed or blown over from other places.

Fishing litter, such as nets or angling lines, accounted for 13.8% of the debris collected, while sewage-related rubbish accounted for 6.2% - of which 60% was cotton bud sticks. Debris from shipping accounted for 1.8% of all items collected in the survey and clean-up.

Emma Snowden, MCS litter projects co-ordinator, said: "Every piece of litter has an owner and we all need to take responsibility to not drop litter in the first place.

"MCS wants to see zero waste on Britain's beaches and our first goal is to halve the litter on Britain's beaches by 2015, but in order to achieve this we need to appoint lead agencies with the specific responsibility to stop marine litter and develop a marine action plan now."

The MCS is urging members of the public to sign their petition calling for a Government action plan on marine litter.