The Clean Earth has published its third annual Marine Litter Report for Guernsey, documenting the collection of 27,969 pieces of litter from 40 beaches and bays in 2023.
The report provides insights into the continuing issue of marine debris around the island, noting that 80% of the litter collected was plastic.
On average, 168 items of litter were found per survey, and 52.9% of the items collected were of unknown origin. Among the top five items collected, plastic fragments were the most common, with 8,207 pieces found across Guernsey’s shores. Cigarette butts accounted for 2,550 of the items collected, which, if penalised, could have led to £178,500 in fines. Followed by 1,972 plastic food wrappers, 1,532 nurdles (small plastic pellets), and 1,354 pieces of string, cord, or rope.
Andrew Munro, Trustee of The Clean Earth Trust commented: “While it’s clear that marine litter remains a significant issue for Guernsey’s beaches, this report highlights the importance of ongoing community efforts to manage and reduce waste.”
“Without the support from our volunteers submitting their finds, this report would not be possible, thank you to everyone who has spent time surveying and submitting their results over the course of 2023”, added Paul Bugden, Policy Officer.
The beach clean-ups and surveys were led by The Clean Earth’s dedicated team of volunteers. Fern Nicholson, Beach Clean Team Lead, added: “The data we’ve
gathered over the past year shows the impact of litter on our environment, with plastic continuing to be a major component. We encourage everyone to do their part by minimising waste, and picking up litter whenever and wherever you can.”
