The shocking scale of Britain’s litter crisis: More than 480,000 pieces of rubbish were removed from UK beaches in 2023 – with plastic bottles still the most commonly dumped items

A new survey has revealed that shocking scale of Britain’s litter crisis. 

In the Marine Conservation Society’s (MCS) annual beach clean, volunteers picked up more than 480,000 items of litter from their local beaches. 

Publishing its annual State of our Beaches report, the charity said half of all litter collected came from public sources – either dumped, blown or washed on to beaches.

Drinks-related litter, such as plastic bottles, caps and cans were one of the most-found items, with an average of 16 found per 100m of beach surveyed – up 14 per cent compared with the charity’s 2022 report.

Plastic caps and lids were also recorded on 89 per cent of surveys, with more than 30,000 found in total, MCS said.

Plastic bottles were commonly collected, with 73 per cent of surveys finding this single-use item – a four per cent increase compared with 2022.

The MCS’s inland litter pick survey, Source to Sea, also reported finding plastic bottles on 92 per cent of cleans.

The charity said that 480,343 items of litter, weighing 37,937lbs (17,208kg), were picked up from the coast overall last year, up 22 per cent from 2022.

But it came after 658 more volunteers joined the survey in 2023, submitting 1,119 litter surveys – the highest number the charity has received in 30 years of the initiative.

The MCS report also showed that some types of litter are on a downward trend.

Although still in the top-10 litter items, disposable plastic cutlery, trays and straws were found on five per cent fewer beaches across the UK.

Bans on these plastic items were introduced last year.

The number of plastic cotton bud sticks dropped by 14 per cent.

Lizzie Price, beachwatch manager at the Marine Conservation Society, said: ‘Half of the litter found on our beaches originates from public sources, underscoring the pressing issue of single-use plastic.

‘Evidence shows that refillable alternatives and litter return schemes effectively reduce rubbish, as demonstrated by the decline our data has shown in items like plastic bags and disposable cutlery.

‘Urgent and decisive action from UK governments is needed to accelerate our shift towards a circular economy, where we reuse, repair and recycle.

‘The public needs greater access to refillable products and systems need to be implemented in which manufacturers are responsible for their waste.’

The MCS is also calling for the Government, and devolved governments, to introduce a deposit return scheme (DRS) as soon as possible.

The recycling scheme, which would see consumers recoup a small deposit when they return single-use bottles and cans, has been in development in the Environment Department (Defra) since 2017 and was part of the 2019 Tory manifesto.

However, the policy has been beset by delays, with the Government currently intending to introduce it by October 2025 – although recent reports said the scheme may not be operational before 2028.

The proposed scheme in England also does not include glass items.

The MCS, which said glass was found on 52 per cent of beaches in 2023, also called for the schemes to be all-inclusive.

A Defra spokesperson said: ‘We are pushing ahead with our programme of reforms to reduce waste and improve our use of resources as part of our goal of eliminating avoidable waste by 2050.

‘It’s why we have taken billions of plastic bags out of circulation, banned many single-use plastics and are rolling out simpler recycling so that no matter where you live in England, you will be able to recycle the same materials.

‘It’s essential that we work closely with industry to make sure these reforms are a success. We are continuing to engage with businesses closely as we proceed with introducing the deposit return scheme.’