Quantity Of Plastic Litter Hitting UK Beaches Up 126% Since Survey Began In 1994 - Telegraph

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More discarded plastic is finding it way onto beaches than ever before, an annual survey has revealed.

Plastic debris in the form of bottles, bags and lids made up almost 60 per cent of all litter found on beaches. The latest Marine Conservation Society (MCS) check revealed that plastic litter has increased by 126 per cent since the annual survey began in 1994.

The survey found big rises in the amount of drinks bottles, plastic bags and cigarette butts dumped or washed up by the tide.

Over 170 species of marine wildlife including birds, whales and turtles were recorded fatally mistaking plastic for food. The MCS Beachwatch 2007 Report is based on data collected by almost 4,000 volunteers on 354 UK beaches surveyed in mid-September last year.

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