• 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!

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