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 188 report forms completed by 584 cleanups organised in 2024

132 957Tobacco products with filters

71 517Pieces of polystyrene 2,5-50 cm

60 088Fishing : nets and ropes (Ø < 1cm)

35 985Pieces of plastic 2,5-50 cm

16 559Plastic bags and pieces

13 339Plastic bottle caps

11 743Food packaging

8 793Shellfish aquaculture

7 420Confectionery packets and wrappers

6 883Glass pieces / ceramic pieces