Beach litter levels are too high
Litter is swamping our oceans and is washing up on beaches. It kills wildlife, looks disgusting, is a hazard to our health and costs millions to clear up.
There are two pieces of litter for every footstep you take on a beach. Marine wildlife gets entangled in litter and accidentally ingests it. Turtles mistake plastic bags for jellyfish and the bags can block their stomachs, often leading to death from starvation.
Seabirds mistake floating plastic litter for food, and over 90% of fulmars found dead around the North Sea have plastic in their stomachs. Plastic litter on beaches has increased 140% since 1994. Plastic never biodegrades. It just breaks down into small pieces but does not disappear.
Microplastic particles are now found inside filter feeding animals and amongst sand grains on our beaches. Litter comes from many sources - the public, fishing activities, sewage pipes and shipping, but it is all preventable.
MCS Current litter campaigns
Break the Bag Habit - Join us in getting a plastic bag levy for England!
Go Plastic Bag Free – Join the campaign to reduce plastic packaging
Don't Let Go – Help us stop balloons killing wildlife
Microplastics - Sign the petition for an EU ban on micro plastics in consumer products
