- About 80% of marine litter came from the land
- Tourism, recreational activities on the coast and poor waste management are the main sources of marine and coastal pollution by litter
Top 10 litter items collected on beaches
- Cigarette butts and filters 13%
- Plastic pieces 11 %
- Crisps packets/sweets wrappers 6 %
- Plastic bottle caps 10 %
- Polystyrene pieces 4%
- Fast food containers 3%
- Plastic cups 2%
- Cotton bud sticks 2%
- Straws and stirrers 2%
- Plastic drink bottles 2%
Decomposition rates of marine litter
- Banana peel 3-4 weeks
- Cardboard 2 months
- Wood 1-3 years
- Cigarette butts and filters 10-12 years
- Plastic bags 10-20 years
- Synthetic clothing 30-40 years
- Batteries 100 years
- Can 200-250 years
- Plastic bottle 450 years
- Fishing line 600 years
- Glass bottle 1,000,000 years
- Some plastic never decomposes down!
Back to Fascinating facts
(Visited 61 times, 1 visits today)