Do you know the 10 most common litter items found in our oceans?

Here, you can find all the figures reported back to us by Ocean Initiatives volunteers from their litter cleanups. These figures relate to Europe and are updated in real time. They highlight the main types of litter found on Europe’s beaches, lakes and rivers.

Based on 213 report forms completed by 665 cleanups organised in 2024

106 230Tobacco products with filters

74 662Pieces of polystyrene 2,5-50 cm

62 488Fishing : nets and ropes (Ø < 1cm)

40 649Pieces of plastic 2,5-50 cm

17 362Plastic bags and pieces

14 411Plastic bottle caps

12 680Food packaging

9 243Shellfish aquaculture

8 330Confectionery packets and wrappers

7 490Glass pieces / ceramic pieces