Litter-Strewn Beaches Awash With Stubs and Buds
Date: 23-Apr-07
Country: UK
Author: Peter Griffiths
The Marine Conservation Society, a charity that campaigns for cleaner beaches and seas, blamed a "throwaway culture" for the rise in seaside rubbish.
Among the worst culprits are people who throw rubbish down the toilet, only for it to wash up on the beach after going through the sewage system.
"The majority of these products are made of plastic which persists in the marine environment for many years," said Emma Snowden, the society's litter projects co-ordinator.
"This should be such an easy environmental issue to resolve and yet the message is still not getting across.
"Everyone must take responsibility to 'Bag it and Bin it - never flush it.'"
Researchers for the Beachwatch survey found that litter had increased by 90.3 percent since 1994. The average density of litter was 1,988.7 items per kilometre, or two per metre.
The cleanest beaches were in Northern Ireland and the dirtiest in Wales and southwest England.
A third of all rubbish is left by beach users. The fishing industry and sewage outlets were also identified as major sources.
The rise in plastic waste threatens wildlife, spoils fishing catches and damages tourism, the society said.
Cigarette stubs were not in the trash top 20 in 1994 but are now the eighth most common item.
"With the smoking regulations (on smoking indoors) coming into force, this problem is likely to increase," Snowden said.
The MCS Beachwatch 2006 report was based on data collected by 4,000 volunteers on 358 UK beaches last September.