Beachwatch 2010 results provide a snapshot of the litter found on UK beaches over one weekend. The average density of litter has increased 6% from 2009 from 1,849 items per km to 1,970 items per km.
In 2010, 4,927 marine conservation society volunteers around the UK cleaned and surveyed 376 beaches, covering 167.2km of coastline (17.4km less than in 2009). In one weekend 3,058 bags were filled with 330,107 items of litter.
An average of 1,970 litter items were found every kilometre of beach surveyed in the UK during the 2010 survey, a 6% increase in density compared with Beachwatch 2009 (1,849/km). This is down from the peak of 2195 items/km in 2008 but remains an 88% increase from the 1,045 items/km found in 2004.
|
UK Region
|
Public
|
Fishing
|
SRD - Sewage Related Debris
|
Shipping
|
Fly-tipped
|
Medical
|
Non-sourced
|
|
Country
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
%
|
|
Northern Ireland
|
42.6
|
11.3
|
11.8
|
1.7
|
1.8
|
0.1
|
30.6
|
|
Scotland
|
37.5
|
8.9
|
20.5
|
1.7
|
1.6
|
0.2
|
29.6
|
|
Wales
|
35.2
|
19.1
|
6.6
|
1.4
|
0.5
|
0.2
|
36.9
|
|
England (total)
|
38.4
|
15.3
|
4.2
|
1.9
|
1.0
|
0.2
|
39.1
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
NE England
|
42.5
|
9.5
|
8.1
|
1.5
|
0.8
|
0.3
|
37.3
|
|
NW England
|
48.1
|
9.8
|
3.4
|
3.2
|
1.4
|
8.5
|
25.4
|
|
SE England
|
37.4
|
15.7
|
3.4
|
2.2
|
1.2
|
0.2
|
39.9
|
|
SW England
|
36.7
|
18.0
|
3.4
|
1.5
|
0.6
|
0.2
|
39.4
|
|
Overall averages
|
37.4
|
15.3
|
7.3
|
1.8
|
1.0
|
0.2
|
37.1
|
Main Materials
In 2010, plastics are the most common litter material found on UK beaches, as it was in 2009 with over 60%.
Plastic items represent 63.2% off all litter recorded in 2009 Beachwatch. This is a decrease of 0.2% compared to 2009.
|
Material category
|
% of total litter
|
Items/kilometre
|
Total number collected
|
|
Plastics
|
63.3
|
1246.7
|
208,938
|
|
Polystyrene
|
9.0
|
177.3
|
29,710
|
|
Sanitary
|
7.3
|
142.9
|
23,954
|
|
Metal
|
6.0
|
117.2
|
19,648
|
|
Glass
|
3.7
|
72.9
|
12,214
|
|
Paper
|
3.7
|
72.2
|
12,093
|
|
Cloth
|
2.1
|
41.1
|
6,893
|
|
Wood
|
2.1
|
40.6
|
6,801
|
|
Rubber
|
1.8
|
35.2
|
5,899
|
|
Pottery & Ceramics
|
0.6
|
11.4
|
1,908
|
|
Faeces
|
0.4
|
8.5
|
1,428
|
|
Medical
|
0.3
|
3.7
|
621
|
For full information on what is included in each category – please follow this link to the full 2010 report
South West
A total of 64,955 litter items were collected from 62 beaches over a total length of 20.7 kilometres in the South West.
On average 3,144 items/kilometre were recorded, higher than the UK average (1,970/kilometre) representing a 4% decrease compared to 2009 average figures (3,269/kilometre)
Within England, the greatest density of litter was recorded, as in previous years, in the South West, where 3,144 items/kilometre were recorded, followed by the South East (1,565/kilometre), North East (1,336/kilometre) and North West (1,324/kilometre). When compared to Beachwatch 2009, average litter densities decreased in the North West (41%) and South West (4%) and increased in the North East (17% ) andf South East (8%).
|
Region
|
No. of beaches surveyed
|
Total no.of volunteers
|
Total litter items
|
Total length surveyed (kilometre)
|
Items/kilometre in 2010
|
|
Country
|
|
Channel Islands
|
32
|
295
|
14,668
|
14.4
|
1015.2
|
|
Northern Ireland
|
8
|
63
|
4,983
|
4.4
|
1122.3
|
|
Scotland
|
57
|
767
|
53,162
|
22.3
|
2382.2
|
|
Wales
|
64
|
755
|
62,694
|
18.6
|
3372.8
|
|
England (total)
|
215
|
3,047
|
194,600
|
107.8
|
1805.2
|
|
England Regions
|
|
NE England
|
41
|
460
|
31,693
|
23.7
|
1336.0
|
|
NW England
|
11
|
93
|
7,046
|
5.3
|
1324.4
|
|
SE England
|
101
|
1,638
|
90,906
|
58.1
|
1564.7
|
|
SW England
|
62
|
856
|
64,955
|
20.7
|
3144.2
|
Beachwatch 2011 will be carried out in September 2011. Please click here for more information.
