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 77 report forms completed by 264 cleanups organised in 2024

24 264Tobacco products with filters

20 281Fishing : nets and ropes (Ø < 1cm)

13 873Pieces of plastic 2,5-50 cm

5 359Pieces of polystyrene 2,5-50 cm

5 056Shellfish aquaculture

4 812Plastic bottle caps

3 761Plastic bags and pieces

2 342Food packaging

1 712Glass pieces / ceramic pieces

1 578Confectionery packets and wrappers