Results from the Marine Conservation Society’s Great British Beach Clean (GBBC) have been announced. The GBBC is a four day event each September where just less than 6,000 volunteers helped clean 364 beaches around the UK in 2016. At each beach clean volunteers surveyed the type and abundance of litter collected. In 2016 268,384 pieces of litter were surveyed and cleared from beaches. The most notable result from the 2016 survey was that plastic bags found on beaches reduced by almost 50% since 2015 which is thought to be thanks to the recent 5p bag charge in supermarkets. However volunteers found significantly more plastic bottles and balloons on beaches. The MCS has said that they are urging local councils to take notice of their #DontLetGo campaign and not allow balloon or lantern releases on their land.
Regional results were announced where the north west had the lowest litter density recorded in England with an average of 407 pieces of litter found per 100 metre survey. However, this result was a 24% increase from 2015.
To see full details of the 2016 GBBC, click here.
